


What we have

by AzalaisSnow



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, F/F, Side Staubrey, Teacher!Chloe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:44:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7562626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzalaisSnow/pseuds/AzalaisSnow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca Mitchell mastered in music but something made her took classes in neuropsychology. And that's how she met Dr Chloe Beale. And what was she supposed to do when her teacher was looking at her with beautiful blue eyes and a bright smile?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue : Under the Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so, here we have the student/professor AU you never need... But it's still there (an idea I got since one of my own teacher look like Chloe, lucky me haha). 
> 
> Anyway, it's my first fic so characters may be little OOC, and I'm sorry for that (and for my possible mistakes, since english isn't my first language).
> 
> That said I would love feedback, and constructives critics since I really want to progress!
> 
> Enjoy awesomes nerds!
> 
> Disclaimers : I do not own Pitch Perfect and its caracters. I do not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creators.

**Prologue : Under the Moonlight**

 

Beca had her back against the window, smoking in the light of the moon. She was only wearing a half closed shirt and a laced underwear, covering the minimum of her otherwise bared body. She was watching, admiring even, the woman currently sleeping in her bed, her naked frame barely covered by the sheets. She had a very peaceful expression, turned in the direction of her younger partner. Beca was awake since an hour or so, she didn’t exactly know, but she didn’t care. She was feeling just perfectly well, standing here, watching the moon’s rays biting the soft skin of the other woman. She had took a few picture of her, amazed by her features, softly enlighten by the moonlight, and the serene smile the redhead had while she was sleeping tightly. The young woman drew her eyes off her and looked at the sky. She inhaled a bit of smoke, and let out a deep and long sight. At this particular moment, she was both feeling very right and, oh so very wrong.

The woman currently lay in her bed was, not only older than her –which wasn’t really important, really- but she was also one her professor. That was the exact reason why Beca felt bad about all this. That and the fact that she had some kind of commitment issue since her father left her and her mother when she was younger. But, despite all of this, she managed to fall for the redhead, to fall for those bright and tender silvery blue eyes, somewhere on the way. And somehow, she had the feeling, in view of the last few days and specially last night, that the older woman was probably also feeling a bit of something for her student.  
But she decided to chase that thought away for the moment and choose to focused on the dark sky. She didn’t notice the redhead slowly waking up. The former carefully sat on the bed, one hand holding the cover to hide her breast and the other steadying herself.

“Hey” she whispered, pulling the other off from her thoughts. The younger woman turned her eyes toward her, a little shy smile on her face.

“Hey yourself.” She said, her voice low, “did I wake you up?” she asked, a bit worried.

“No.” answered simply the older woman. She stood up then, wrapping the blanket around her naked body.

Beca eyes fell around the naked frame of the older woman’s breast, barely covered by the sheet, but she quickly hold up her gaze and looked straight into those beautiful blue eyes. She got stuck. With the light of the moon , they were bright silver, amazing as ever. Lost in those stunning endlessly shining eyes, she didn’t notice that their owner got closer. Closer enough to take away her cigarette, and extinguish it.

“You know I don’t like see you smoking… It means something is bothering you…” she said, her voice soft and tender.

“Yeah, sorry…” Beca answered, before she fell silent, her gaze dropping on the floor.

The redhead brought one of her thin and soft hand to the face of her student, and, carefully, she made her lift her head, so their eyes met again.

“Hey… What’s wrong?” she asked fondly, her voice low.

Beca hold her gaze before she asked, almost blurting it “Is that wrong?” the redhead gave her a questioning look, so the young one explained herself. “What we have… Is that wrong? I mean… You’re my professor and all…”

“We’re both responsible adult, we’re in college, not high school… Besides you’re only five years younger than me, it’s not that much…” she said with a weak, almost sad smile. She took a pause. Then, studying the other’s face. “What do you feel?”

The young one was taken aback, not really used to be asked those kind of thing. She hesitated for a while before answering. “I don’t know… I think I never felt that right.” She finally said with a sad laugh, letting her eyes fell on the floor again.

At that, the redhead lean in and kissed the younger woman’s forehead. She whispered softly “I really like you, you know?”

Beca didn’t really understand how it was possible, it shouldn’t be happen. But it was happening, and she smiled, her eyes watering a little against her will, and she muttered “So do I… So do I…” before letting herself dragged into one of her professor’s tight and comforting hug.

If she was true to herself, Beca had liked this woman since the very beginning.


	2. Chapter 1 : back to school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to post the first chapter alongside with the prologue, next chapter should come next week. After it's less certain since I lost the story I wrote and I used as a base for this one. So yes I actually absolutely don't know where I'm going! :D But I hope you will still come with me on that little adventure of mine.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading :)

**Chapter 1 : Back to school**

Beca Mitchell had come to the Barden University to get a music degree at the first place. She wanted to become a music producer. But something happened, making her change her mind quite drastically. And she decided to study neuropsychology. She had passed the tests of the two first years while she was completing her degree. Beca didn’t do socialization, so it was kind of easy for her to be focused on her study. She got there with her best friend, Jesse. He was doubling his study, neuro on one hand and music in another. So he was a little late in his neuro degree and they get to be in the same year.

On her first day, when she just came back from the summer break, she caught sight of a short ginger woman –who actually was a little taller than her but still short in comparison of her two friends with whom she was talking (a tall blond, and an even taller brunette) -. The three women didn’t seem to be much older than Beca and her best friend, and were actually kind of hot, if she was sincere. But she didn’t know why, something dragged her attention particularly toward the redhead; while Jesse often says that she had a thing for blondes.

Anyway, the young man noticed that she was staring at those women and he started grinned.

“Can I introduce you to some of our professors?” he said, before adding “I knew you would love neuropsycho!”

“Oh shut up, you dork.” Beca answered, before the boy took a move toward the women. “Hey! Where you going?”

“I’m a student delegate; I should just introduce them to the new student that passed the test without even attempting the classes.” He still had this mischievous grin on his face, and didn’t even let Beca the time to retort something.

“Hey professors!” Jesse greeted them happily.

“Jesse.” Said simply the blond one, almost coldly.

“What bring you here?” asked the redhead, smiling wildly, her eyes mostly on Beca.

“Well.. remember when I said my best friend would pass your test successfully to enter in your class. Well here she is!” he said, kind of proudly.

Beca shifted from one feet to another, uncomfortable with the sudden attention she got. She raised her hand awkwardly and decided to introduce herself.

“Beca Mitchell. I mastered in music, but… I wanted to do neuropsychology, so well… I studied his lessons between two mixes…” she presented her hand to the blond teacher on her left first, and suddenly felt like she was kind of judged.

The blond one introduced herself as the Doctor Aubrey Posen, a law teacher, friend of the other two. Then the tall brunette was Stacie Conrad, doctor in neuroscience, teacher specialized in perception. And finally, the redhead was the Doctor Chloe Beale, neuropsychologist, responsible of their year. She was beaming, and Beca couldn't help to notice her have awesomely beautiful blue eyes.

“So, you did music before?” she asked, curiously, her gaze particularly intense on Beca.

“Still do. Mostly mixes. And some piano occasionally…” Beca said hesitant. “There is a student concert tonight… If you want to hear what can come under my fingers…”

She heard a muffled laugh from Jesse, and realized with horror that she somehow managed to make a nasty undertone to one of her professor. Dr Beale and Conrad were bemused, but not Posen, who was clearly judging her right now. Beca looked at the young man beside her, imploring him to save her from that embarrassment. So Jesse said they had a meeting of some sort to attempt and they leave, Beca internally slapping herself for that big social ‘faux-pas’. As soon as they were far enough, Jesse started laughing like a maniac, despite the slight punches he got from Beca.

The evening, while she was preparing herself for the concert, she was particularly certain that she will see no redhead tonight, and she was a little disappointed by that, cursing herself. But she didn’t bother long with that since her father arrived.

“You’re beautiful.” He stated.

Beca was wearing what she called the “concert dress” –which was obligatory to her great sorrow- a simple black dress, ending at her knees. She was also wearing heels so she was a few inches taller. Maybe her father was right, but she just shrugged at his comment. She didn’t want to see him, and even less to talk to him. He had got the signal.

“I know you don’t want to see me… After everything…”

“Yeah…” she said dryly.

“I just… Heard it was your last concert, I wanted to wish you good luck.”

“Thanks. I don’t need it. You can leave.” Maybe she was harsh but he deserved it.

Her father wanted to say something but Beca turned around, pretending to be busy. So the man left her alone, finally. And Jesse erupted in the room, startling her.

“Dude!” she squished, slapping his shoulder.

“Ha! I just wanted to warn you: she’s here, don’t make a fool out of yourself. Again.”

“Wait what?” but he already had left, joining the strings corner and taking his cello.

Soon the curtains lift and she saw exactly what Jesse wanted to say. Chloe Beale was here, her blue eyes already on her. Of course, she was on one of the front rods. And she shot her a wide smile. And so Beca felt her heart skip a beat. ‘Ok, breath Mitchell. Composed yourself for god’s sake’ she muttered to herself. Luckily for her their director climbed on the stage, and she went full mode concert. It was supposed to be her last one, so be it her best one.

The concert went smoothly, they played mixes of pop songs. Beca got a few solo. She didn’t notice the redhead watching her with bright eyes. She was totally lost in the music. Both were. And soon the concert ended in an explosion of sheers and applause. Beca went back to reality, the director introducing her to the audience. She was the one who had arranged the songs, blending them together, and the director was particularly proud of her work. Well she was also kind of proud of herself on that one. Especially now she had seen the look of amazement in those bright blue eyes.

After a quick moment in backstage, receiving a few ‘congrats’ and a big hug from Jesse, she returned in the hall with the boy. Her eyes caught quickly a glimpse of red hairs. Beca dragged Jesse over their professor, feeling suddenly bold. But not bold enough to engage conversation just like that. So she just ‘accidently’ pushed Jesse toward the woman.

“Dude! Watch your step. I’m sorry ma’am, this guy’s a mess.” She then pretended to just noticed it was her professor. “Oh! You came.” She said with a smile, shutting Jesse attempts to protest with a slap on his shoulder.

“Well yeah. I wanted to see what you were capable of. And I must admit that I’m quit impress. You have a way around music, it’s kind of amazing!” she said beaming.

Beca felt herself suddenly blushing “Well.. uh… thanks, I guess…”

Miss Beale let out a little laugh in front of her student’s embarrassment. “Really, you can be proud of yourself. That’s why I’m asking myself a question: Why?”

“Why what?” asked Beca, blinking confusedly.

“Why did you stop music, if you were so good at it?”

Jesse made a face, and Beca smile dropped. It wasn’t something she was ready to share so willingly. Jesse had knew her reason because he was there the whole time. But no one else knew. She didn’t want to talk about it. Even if she felt safe with this woman, and even trusting her, but she’s not ready. Not for now, at least. Facing that hesitation the redhead trailed a little of.

“You don’t have to answer you know?”

“Yeah sorry… Let’s just say I wanted since a while to understand how the human works.”

“Sounds like a good enough reason to me.” Miss Beale said with a soft smile.

Beca smiled, losing herself a while in the redhead’s eyes. Then something came to her mind. She pull off her ipod from her pocket, connecting her favorite headphone and put them on the ears of her teacher. The woman gave her a questioning look and Becca answered by a confident smile. She then set a song to play. It was the first time she made someone other than Jesse –and especially someone she didn’t even really know- listen to her mixes. But those ones were specials; they were there for showing a point. They were there to underline the fact that Becca wanted to understand people. She waited until the track ended. Miss Beale gave her back her headphone, with a grin, saying :

“I don’t even have to ask if it’s you who made this. It’s truly amazing. You are very talented.”

Beca blush a little. “Well, thank you… But I’ll ask you one thing : does it made you think of someone?”

The redhead thought for a few seconds. “Jesse. Why?”

“Because it’s the mix, he evoked to me. It’s a project I work on, I call it ‘the song behind the eyes’. The whole point is to create a song that could evoke someone. I mean, everyone has their own rhythm, their own lyrics, their own bass line, their own song. They’re saying something like that but we have to pay attention to it, to listen to it and understand it. That’s what I want to do, listening, translate it into music, and maybe made them listen. Maybe there are thing they don’t have access to, but which can be found in their song. It’s my way to understand and help people I guess…” she suddenly felt dumb, like she was rambling, it was her personal project, she never talked about it, even with Jesse. But something in her teacher smile made her comfortable. Maybe she can help her with that project.

“Wow. That’s a great project. You should keep on with it. You have a unique way to see people. Besides, every one love music, that can really help… You really are one of a kind. I’m kind of proud to know that you are my student now.” She finally said, with in fact, a proud smile.

Beca was shifting awkwardly on her feet, not knowing what to answer to such a great praise. And reminding herself that yes indeed she was her teacher, she shouldn’t try to be friend with her. But she soon was saved by Jesse and a bunch of friends who came to join them. All of them chatted about various things, coming from class to music especially. By the end of the night, Beca had learned that Chloe Beale was actually the youngest professor of their field, only 5 years older than her. But that was all she could catch on the general fuzz of the night.

The morning after, Jesse came wake her up with coffee to prepare the small one to the starting of classes in the afternoon. He waited until she had finished her coffee to throw at her:

“So… Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have like the biggest crush ever on our beloved pro-fessor Chloe Beale.”

Beca was caught off guard by that, yes the redhead was hot, totally her type, but she is still a professor, she can’t have a crush on her, simply as that.

“You wrong dude.”

She simply stated, getting up to take a shower. She made a short sentence to be the most convincing possible, but she felt like she wasn’t really… She won't talk about a crush, no she was only attrated to her. But still... What’s wrong with her, to possibly be attrated like that by her teacher?


	3. Chapter 2 : That weird moment when...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! I'm back with a new chapter... the story is going in a total different direction that the original (probably due to the fact that I lost the original haha) but whatever, it's fun to write.
> 
> Otherwise, thank you you all! For the kudos and comment! It's a real pleasure to read, you are all awesome nerds! 
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy what's coming next!

**Chapter 2 : That weird moment when...**

 

They started classes the afternoon with a lesson given by Dr Conrad. And she was someone, since it would appear that she was flirting with half of her students, males like females. Beca had this feeling that she was doing this both to get their attention and test them somehow, which made her almost smile. Otherwise, Conrad was a really good teacher and Beca was for once really paying attention, her mind only wandering sometimes to a certain redhead she was supposed to have in class the next day. But each time it happened she just shook her head a little, chasing any possible though about her before they became too invading.

 

When the class ended Beca and Jesse got to the radio station on campus, joining Luke, the British guy who ran the place. They had an internship there during their first year. Which mostly consisting in stacking CD, something Beca founded pretty boring –deadly boring in truth-, so she did it only for one year, while Jesse kept going, which was completely escaping Beca. And for some mysterious reasons, Luke texted Jesse today, asking him to bring Beca to the station to ask her something.

 

“Becky!” he greeted her, happily.

 

“Oh come on! You know my real name, just use it.” Beca answered, annoyed.

 

“What? You prefer shorty?”

 

“Ok, got it. So what do you want?”

 

“I want you to take a shift as a DJ. I heard what you can do at your last concert, and that’s pretty awesome!” He said simply. “You in?”

 

Beca looked at him, taken aback by his offer. It could help her became a music producer if ever she wasn’t feeling strong enough to be a neuropsychologist. Jesse was beaming to her side, knowing that it could really be good for her to do so and that she would have the talent to handle a gig at the radio station. And Beca knew all of this, so she didn’t hesitate long before finally answering:

 

“Well yeah, thanks, I would do that.” Without really putting her heart in it.

 

“Hide your joy.” Luke said, sarcastic.

 

“I’m happy you know? I’m just not the yelling type, that’s all. So when do I start?”

 

They adjusted everything, so Beca could start being a DJ on campus station the next Saturday. It would only be for once a week, on the Saturday night between 10p.m. and 2a.m., but she was truly happy with that. After all, that was something she dreamed of, some years ago before, well... everything. But she was nervous too, it would be the first time she will present her mixes to the world. She passed the night going through all her mixes folders, picking up what could be best to start on the station next week. She prepared a few playlists with half normal songs and half mixes of her own. She though that she could also take requests from listeners, but decided that she will need to ask Luke about it. In the end, she had set up enough playlists for several nights on the station. When she saved the last one, she stretched and looked out the window.

 

“Oh shit!”

 

The dawn was already rising. She checked the hour, she had just two hours left before her class. She suddenly remembered that this class was with none other than Dr. Beale and cursed a whole lot more. She decided to go take a shower to refresh herself. But while she was under the hot water, humming Titanium, which she used for one of her last mixes, she started dozing off. Few minutes later, she actually fall asleep and started dreaming.

 

Her dream started at the same point she had started dozing off. She was under the shower, singing titanium. And suddenly a certain redhead literally barged in her shower booth, like if it was the perfectly normal thing to do.

 

“You can sing!” She exclaimed, far too happily.

 

And then she asked some weird stuff and said something about Titanium being her lady jam, which Beca found at the same time gross and almost exciting. Suddenly Beale asked the brunette to sing that song for her. While she opposed at first, Beca finally obliged. Then the redhead joined in the song. Their voices harmonizing perfectly, sounding clear in the bathroom. Their eyes met, two shades of blue lost in each other. But when they stopped singing, Beca eyes felt on her teacher’s body. Which the former claimed she was pretty confident about it. And Beca understand that pretty well. But someone else barged in the shower, a beautiful blonde woman, taller than Miss Beale. Beca froze in shock, recognizing Aubrey Posen, who looked down on her like she was about to kill her. She realized then it was a dream – well a kind of nightmare now- and wake up suddenly, still in her shower, but sadly with no redhead and luckily with no blonde neither.

 

However, she kept clearly in her head the picture of the very naked and very perfect body of her young teacher, and she turned the water cold. It wasn’t really the moment to imagine her teacher nude while she was about to have a class with her. Once she was sure she had cool herself enough, she got back to her room and checked her clock again. She will have to run, because she clearly didn’t want to be late at her first class with Dr. Beale. But luckily, she made it just in time, sitting next to Jesse only one minute before the supposed beginning of the lesson.

 

“Wow! You were so excited to have Beale for class that you didn’t sleep or what?” teased Jesse, noticing the bags under his friend’s eyes.

 

“Dude no! I worked on mixes, that’s all.” Retorted Beca.

 

Jesse wanted to say something but their professor came in, beaming as always, her smile brightening a little more when catching Beca’s eyes. She presented herself, explaining her cursus and career. Apparently she has a killer brain alongside her killer smile since she actually skipped a few grades to be there so young. Then she started her lesson and Beca was literally drinking her words. Firstly because what she said was absolutely fascinating, and secondly because she really has a beautiful voice. Beca was certain she would do a great singer, with a lovely voice that would certainly harmonize perfectly with Beca’s own voice, just like she had dreamed it.

 

“Don’t go on that path, Mitchell!” she grumbled to herself.

 

“Having dirty though, uh?” asked Jesse with an evil grin.

 

“No! Dude! Just shut up already.” Beca retorted between her teeth.

 

“Mitchell, Swanson, can we focus here please?” they heard Miss Beale said, calmly, and yet they stood up straight, and nodded their understanding, shutting their mouth definitely.

 

Beca tried to refocus on the lesson, but the shower dream kept barging again and again in her head. So she tried to focus on something without any link to the redhead, like her gig at the station. But she still felt nervous. And Beca don't like being nervous. What if people don’t like what she will air? It would litterally crush her. Suddenly, while she was having an inner mini panick attack, her eyes catch Miss Beale’s and she remembered how she reacted after hearing her mix. That time, her eyes were brighter than ever, she had looked happy and moved by the music. Beca regained confidence about showing her mixes to the world, and impatience started to grow in her. Now she really wanted to be in that booth and blow people’s minds with her music.

 

But before she got there, it would appear that they got a class with the professor Posen, and that woman definitely didn’t like her. The blonde was almost like an army sergeant, harsh, strict and cold. She certainly would be as fascinating as Miss Beale though as a teacher since she was excellent in her subject, but clearly, it didn’t interested Beca –ok ethic rules are important and all but err..-. Dr. Posen seemed to have noticed that and intended to made Beca having a hard time with it. The brunette really thought that she wouldn’t end this lesson alive, especially without Jesse. Hopefully, she met Cynthia Rose, a kind of black beauty who helped her supported the harsh comportment of their teacher, and a crazy blonde Australian who call herself Fat Amy, who said extravagant things all the time. It helped the class to seem to pass faster for a while. Until that one time Amy told something so weird that both Cynthia Rose and Beca laughed a little too loud and they got a death glare from Posen. That teacher never needed to raise her voice to have silence in her class since she really looked capable to kill you with her sole glare. But still Beca make it through, luckily.

 

“She’s kind of cute.” Stated Cynthia Rose. “Too bad she’s some kind of aca-nazi.”

 

“Aca-nazi? What is that again?” Asked Beca curiously.

 

“Yeah, her alongside with Beale and Conrad, supervise the acapella female group of the Campus, the Barden Bellas. Hopefully she’s the least present of the three, ‘cause I intend to apply. Luckily, someone told me that Beale is always there and she is sweet and all.” Explained Cynthia Rose.

 

“I think I will take the auditions too, so I could have an excuse to escape all my boyfriends.” Said Amy.

 

Beca decided to let go of that last comment and focus on the fact that her favorite teacher was supervisor of an acapella group. She missed doing music, and she was not a bad singer herself, she could join in. But maybe she should talk with Jesse to know if it would really be a good idea to apply to this group, because he wasn’t totally wrong, she had a crush on this teacher, and she was starting to have dirty though about her, well… dreams. For now.

 

“When are the auditions for that aca-thing?” she asked even so she wasn’t sure to really come.

 

“At the end of the week.” Said a familiar voice behind them.

 

Beca turned around faster than ever to found blue eyes on her accompanied with a bright smile. The redhead was with Dr. Conrad, who left, saying something about giving a hug to Aubrey, but Beca wasn’t sure, because, seriously, who would want to hug that dictator-like teacher?

 

“So you plan on joining the Bellas?” Miss Beale asked, with a non-hidden enthusiasm.

 

And Beca felt bad to answer, well mumble, something about not being sure because she was busy and all, which made the redhead smile dropped a little. And Beca really hated that, because that smile was precious.

 

Oh god, she was so screwed, how on earth can she have such a crush on a teacher?


	4. Chapter 3: ... When you realise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey buddies!  
> So here the new chapter, the story is slowly progressing, and I'm back home so I'll be able to look for that damn draft copy of the story!  
> Thank you for your comments and kuddos, it make me reallyyy happy!  
> Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 3: … when you realise**

“She’s not much older than you, she could have been in class with us you know? You shouldn’t feel bad about it, Becs.” Tried Jesse.

“That’s not the age the problem, she is our teacher for fuck sake!”

“Language Becky!” had yelled Luke.

Beca had come to the station to talk to Jesse. At first the young man though something really bad had happened because Beca had litteraly stormed into the station. Apparently it was simply that the oh so badass DJ had just realized she had like the biggest crush on their redhead teacher, Chloe Beale.

“Calm down Beca, you’ll give yourself a heart attack if you keep going like this.” Said Jesse, trying to calm the brunette.

Beca sat in despair, asking herself how the boy could be so relaxed, it was some shitty situation after all. But then again, she was the only one really implicated in this situation. Well her and Chloe Beale somehow.

“The question is: should I join that stupid acapella thing?” she finally asked.

“That’s not stupid, that could be fun.” He replied. “I intend to join the male version of the Bellas, the Treblemakers… Auditions are at the same place and time. You should totally come, could be fun!”

“Yeah and pass the few next month seeing her almost every day? Like it could make me any good…” She mocked.

“Stop worrying so much Becky. Just go and get the girl!” Interfered Luke from the booth.

“The girl is a teacher silly, I can’t simply go and get her.”

Luke got out of the booth, rising both his eyebrows “Why not?”

“Because… Because…”

“See, you don’t have a good enough reason not to.” He said with a devilish grin.

“Isn’t it supposed to be like, illegal or something?” asked Beca, turning toward Jesse.

The boy just shrugged, apparently not knowing a thing on the whereabouts of teacher-student relationships, while Luke came sat with them.

“Y’know, I dated a teacher when I started college. The thing is not to get caught, she could have problem with administration or some shit like that, but you’re both adult so technically…” explained the British.

“You are so not helping.” Grunted Beca.

“What are you so afraid of?” finally asked Luke.

Beca make a face. Jesse knew somehow what she could be afraid of. She was afraid to screw everything like her father, afraid of getting hurt again and afraid most of all to take the risk to bring someone in her fall. But she will definitely not told that to Luke, and right now she seemed to absolutely ignore what to say. So Jesse decided to cut that part of the conversation.

“Anyway, you can still come and see how you feel when she’s here, out of the class context. If you feel it, give a try, if not, well, just don’t.”

Beca looked at him curiously. Maybe he was right after all. She could give a try, see how it felt. And deep down, she would like to join the Bellas. She missed music. Rehearsals, concerts and all. She didn’t think she would but still, she missed it. And missed it kind of badly, if she was truly honest.

“I don’t know dude, it’s been a long time since I didn’t sing…”

“You were an excellent singer, it will come back quickly!” Jesse reassured her. “Anyway, got to go, I got a class with Posen.”

“Good luck with that, man!” said Beca before he leaved.

The girl stayed there, talking to Luke. She completely changed the subject, asking him things about her gig on Saturday. She decided that she will think later about all this audition thing. But when she got to her room, she worked on more mixes. Then she had to eat, sleep, shower, got to class, and Friday evening was already there. She got texts from both Fat Amy and Cynthia Rose, asking her if she intended to come and trying to convince her to actually come. And then it was Jesse himself that came to her room, dragging her to the auditorium.

“You know that might be your worst idea ever? I won’t get rid of this stupid crush if I had to see her like every other fucking days!” Beca tried to protest.

“Yeah, but I’m taking the risk, come on, it’ll be fun! You’ll be an acapella girl, I’ll be an acapella boy, we’re going to have aca-children and become aca-godparents.” He claimed happily.

“You are a dork.” Snorted Beca.

“And yet, you love me.” Grinned Jesse.

Beca simply rolled her eyes and followed him to the auditorium. But she slipped away at the last second to use the back door. She wasn’t sure yet if she really wanted to take that risk, so she won’t officially present herself to the audition. If she changed her mind, well, she’ll improvise. From backstage she had a pretty good view of the public. She let her eyes wandering around until she catch a glimpse of redhead, soon followed by glimpse of blue eyes. Beale was sit with Conrad and Posen as it was foreseeable, but she was acting like she was frantically looking for someone in the crowd of students that had presented to audition. Beca’s heart jumped in a sudden rush of hope. Yes, she was hoping that the redhead was actually looking for her. But the DJ decided to nip that hope in the bud. Beale seemed disappointed but didn’t get flustered.

And then the audition started. Each student was singing a part of some Kelly Clarkson’s song, “Since you Been Gone”. Jesse was really great as expected, after all, he always loved to sing. But Beca was also surprised by other performances. Benji, a friend of Jesse, was pretty good. Amy had a tendency to over acting but wasn’t bad neither, and Cynthia Rose was actually very good. There was also a tall –really tall- young and innocent brunette called Emily who had rambling about writing original songs and had a great voice and control over it. And some other weren’t bad nor good, just kind of average.

By the end of the audition, when all the students had sang their parts, Beca’s eyes found Miss Beale again. And her professor looked at the door where the students came from, with a mix of hope and disappointement. If she was true to herself, Beca even saw a hint of sadness in those beautiful eyes, and it make her heart sank a little. That’s when she decided to step it. She walked shyly on the stage. And Beale catch almost immediately her presence.

“Wait! There’s one more!” she said, stopping some random guy to call off on the audition.

“Hum… Well.. I didn’t know we had to prepare that song...” said Beca, shyly.

“That’s okay. Sing anything you want.” Miss Beale said, in a confident smile, while Posen was looking dubious and Conrad kind of curious.

“Um… May I?” asked Beca while she kneed on the stage, trying to reach a yellow cup full of pen.

The redhead nodded, the blond was dubious as ever and the brunette raised her eyebrows questioningly. So Beca took the cup, emptied it and place it in front of her. And she started taping a beat. When she was sure to get the routine she raised her eyes, found the blue ones and started singing, not letting her gaze fall, or just rarely. As she hit the chorus, she saw Miss Beale’s smile grown wider, her eyes shining. If Beca was paying attention around she would also have noticed that Miss Posen was also impressed, yet still a little doubtful, and that Conrad couldn’t tear off her eyes from Beca’s hands playing with the cup. She had completely thrilled the judges.

At the end of the song, the brunette just sat there awkwardly, watching Beale’s smile growing in a wide victory smile. Conrad was grinning too, but when she looked toward Posen who seemed unhappy to see that alt girl so good, she turned her smile into a pout, like she could tamed the blond woman to accept the young DJ in their group.

“Okay!” the random guy interfered the staring context Beale and Beca was having, alongside with Conrad and Posen. “So you’ll be contactedvery soon if you are accepted.”

On those words, Beca jumped on her feet, found Jesse and escaped the auditorium. She failed to notice that her teacher seemed to want to talk with her. Jesse didn’t miss it but thought it was preferable not to say a thing about it. Once they got outside, Beca sighed deeply.

“Becs! You were amazing in there!” exclaimed Jesse.

“Yeah yeah I know…”

“And you are modest too.” Ironised Jesse.

“That’s not the problem…” said Beca between her teeth.

“What’s that face, you look like you’re in pain shorty, does your talent choked you?”

Beca gave Amy an incredulous look.

“No but seriously you were good Beca!” said Cynthia Rose, joining.

“Yeah I know!” before she added quickly “Jesse already told me that…”

It was quite clear for the boy that something was wrong. He made up an excuse to leave the girls behind and be alone with Beca.

“What’s wrong Becs, seriously?” he asked, a little worried.

“How am I supposed to do? Did you see how she looked at me back there? How am I supposed to not fall for her? Oh my gosh! How am I gonna do??” she said in a rush, her hands going frantically through her hairs.

Jesse pulled her armed down and put his hands on her shoulders. “Start by breathing and calming down. We figured it out. But you aware that with your perf there is no way they don’t take you in the Bellas.” Beca raised her head violently, her eyes wide. “But!” Jesse quickly intervened, before the brunette could panic any more “Posen really don’t like you, so maybe she will be there all the time to make sure you’re not screwing everything up.”

“And that’s supposed to reassure me?” snorted Beca.

“Well at least, you will be obliged to keep cool and most of all to keep it low… She'll probably never let you too much near Beale.”

“Ok, I guess it could help…” said Beca, not really convince. Then she sighed “you know what? I’m going to get back to my room and sleep until my gig tomorrow night. See ya!”

“Becs! Wait!”

But it was too late, Beca was almost running back to her room, she crashed on her bed and tried to fall asleep, the redhead's smile haunting her. Keeping her awake. She let out a frustrated ground and grabbed her phone, she launched one of her special sleep playlist, hoping music could lock out any kind of parasite thoughts. It didn’t really work out. After she had passed an hour tossing and turning in her back, she turned on her back eyes wide open.

“Damn it! Why is this happening to me?” she grumbled before getting up to change her mind working on mixes.


	5. Chapter 4: and everything turned weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! Here a new chapter. I have a few chapter ready, but since I got an internship soon, I rather kept them in stock, in case I can't write so you can still have a regular update! 
> 
> Otherwise, thank you everyone for comments and kudos! You're all awesome!
> 
> And enjoy this one, I had fun to write, I've probably lost a little the sight of my first plan for caracters, but whatever haha!

**Chapter 4: And everything turned weird.**

When Beca woke up it was already the middle of afternoon. She hadn’t slept well at all, she had wakened every now and then, her cover and pillows on the floor from all the tossing and turning. She had dreamt of the redhead of course, and tortured herself with the whole “she’s my teacher I can’t have a crush on her” thing. It didn’t help her be calm and cool about the whole situation. Beca didn’t want to get attached to anybody, and especially if this anybody could suffer from side effect of their relationship like it would if she started dating Chloe Beale. Because it was her freaking professor. She needed to be reminded of this fact from time to time, or she would inexorably fall violently for the redhead.

She threw her last reminding pillow across the room and got up to go straight taking a shower. And she stayed under the running water for something in between half an hour and a complete hour. Like she was hoping she could drown her growing feelings with all this water. But it didn’t have that effect. It didn’t have any good effect, since the shower keep reminding her of her weird dream from the beginning of the week. So she finally ended it and get back to her room.

“Shoo! What the Fuck?” she yelled entering her room, finding someone sitting on her bed. And that wasn’t Jesse. Nor Amy or Cynthia Rose. Or any student for what it takes. 

“What kind of language is that young lady?”

Oh of course, Chloe Beale herself had to be in her room, grinning, in the middle of the afternoon while she just got back from a shower, aka the moment when she is certainly naked under a bathrobe.

“What are you doing here?” seriously, what is she doing her, beside to try giving Beca a heart attack?

“The Bellas. You’re in, I came to take you to the aca-initiation night.” She said proudly.

“I … Aca… What?”

“Aca-initiation night, acapella groups throwing a party to celebrate their new members, you know the usual?” explained Dr Beale.

“Yeah but it’s like, the middle of the afternoon.” Said Beca incredulous.

“Aca-reunion before, “we have tradition to uphold” would said Aubrey.” She said, in a laugh, making the quoting sign with her hands.

“I didn’t even take my breakfast” grumbled Beca, yet, the redhead heard that.

“What? Like you said, it’s a middle of the afternoon, you just woke up?” asked Beale, rising her eyebrows.

“Kind of, yeah? So can you just tell me where this whole thing take place and I’ll handled it myself?”

“Nah I’m supposed to take you.” Said simply the professor in a weird mischievous smile, which made Beca think that the redhead was somehow lying or something like this.

“Can I at least change in something more suitable?”

“Oh yeah sure.”  
But the redhead didn’t move an inch. Like she intended to stay there while Beca would change. 

“Hum…” started Beca. “I need like, privacy, maybe?” she couldn’t help but being a little sarcastic, it was her defense mechanism after all.

“Ok.” Agreed Beale with a slight pout. “But you know you should be more confident about your body.” She had before leaving.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Snorted Beca

The brunette got rid of her bathrobe and she was starting to put on underwear when the door opened again and Beca tried to cover her body as fast as she could.

“You drink coffee? I’ll go to the cafeteria to grab coffee and donuts.” Asked Dr. Beale, who was holding the door wide opened.

“Duh no! Well… yes for coffee. But no! You can’t enter a room like that. Seriously I’m nude!” protested Beca while closing the door more or less violently on her teacher.

“I’m a woman too, I’ve seen all of this before y’know? And you’re definitely should be more confident cause you’re hot young lady!” said the redhead through the door with a hint of teasing in her voice.

“Go get that coffee already!” cried Beca in despair, forgetting she was talking to a professor.

‘Seriously, what’s wrong with this woman? What kind of teacher does that?’ she thought, still blushing violently for the last comment from the redhead.

Despite that, she dressed quickly and almost ran out of her room. But only almost, because she wasn’t that desperate. She was hungry, that’s all. So when she reached the cafeteria and spotted red hairs, she laid eyes on the donuts box the woman was holding. Not her blue sun-dress falling flawlessly on her beautiful body, nor her long legs ending by heels. No, Beca was definitely watching the donuts box.

“You hungry?” Beale asked beaming

“Hum yeah…” Beca eyes fell on the redhead’s cleavage while she was saying this. 

She shook her head and looked straight in her professor eyes while she reached for the donuts. It wasn’t really a better idea, because Chloe Beale was one of those people with a really strong gaze, and Beca couldn’t come to tear her eyes from hers. And she almost let down the boxes.

“Careful here.” Said Beale, chuckling.

“Erh sorry..” then the redhead handed her the box so she can hold it, and Beca couldn’t help but ask. “Since when does teacher buy breakfast to their student? A habit of yours or what?”

“Let’s say your special Mitchell.” Answered simply Beale, with… a wink? Which Beca decided to ignore for her own sake.

“Okay… thanks anyway.”   
The redhead just beamed and the brunette started eating. She really was hungry. And tired. The coffee will do well on her. She was really grateful for her teacher’s gesture right now so she didn’t ask more about that special treatment. That’s how they ended walk all the way toward auditorium in silence. 

“Finally!” someone greeted them with temper.

And Beca remembered painfully that Aubrey Poser was also a supervisor of the Bellas. Seriously why they needed to be that much? Beale and Conrad would have been enough. The alt girl just grunted a little sorry before she took place with the other students. 

And suddenly someone was putting a cloth bag on her head so she couldn’t see a thing anymore. She started struggling when she felt someone’s hand on her arms, trying to move her.

“Relax Mitchell, it’s part of the process to be a Barden Bella.” Said Conrad’s voice, amused.

“Seriously?!” she half yelled. And she swore she heard Beale’s muffled laugh.

She was taken to a few meters further and then she felt the others were also moved beside her. And she then heard Posen started reciting the names of her fellow Bellas, while she was taking of their cloth bag.

“Jessica, Mary Elise, Lilly, Flo, Cynthia Rose, Emily, Kori, Fat Amy, Denise, Ashley and Beca.”

Of course, Beca had to be the last. When she opened her eyes again the lights were off, and the room was candle lit. There were candles everywhere, Beca almost got her jacket burnt because of them. While she was avoiding a burn, the redhead teacher got closer to her, holding something like an old cup filled with some weird liquid.

“We shall begin by drinking the blood of the sisters that came before you.” She heard Posen said.

“Dude, no!” Beca protested.

“Don’t worry it’s Boone’s Farm.” Whispered Beale with a wink.

Beca started considering to leave this crazy place, but she obliged and faked drinking that weird liquid –because she wasn’t drinking that seriously-.  
After that Conrad gave to each student a yellow and blue scarf.

“Place your scarf in your right hand, then say “I, sing your name” ” started the blonde.

Every new Bellas did as said, and all those names singing simultaneously were particularly disharmonic to Beca ears.

“Promise to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of a Bella woman.” Posen continued.

They repeated, once again, and Beca was in a sort of owe. Their teacher was making them taking an oath. That was unreal somehow. But this wasn’t the end.

“And I solemnly promise to never have sexual relations with a Treblemaker or may my vocal cords be ripped out by wolves.”

She repeated it while seriously questioning the whole sect aspect of that thing. And when Posen declared that they were all Bellas now, she wasn’t sharing the general enthusiasm. She was really reconsidering the idea of being a Bella because that looked like a very bad idea right now. 

After that, it was the start of the evening and they were brought to an outdoor auditorium. They met the Trebles here and some other aca-groups of the campus. Beca didn’t really care, she was trying to see where Jesse could be.

“Isn’t that cool?” she heard Fat Amy said. “Go to a party organized by our teachers.”

“I’m not sure if it’s cool or like super weird. Who though Posen would do that?” added Cynthia Rose, laughing.

“It could be a trap.” Said Amy, narrowing her eyes.

“Yeah probably.” Laughed Beca before she excused herself to get something to drink.

But she couldn’t reach the place to get a drink. She didn’t manage to go through the crowd. And this had nothing to do with her short size. So she just stood beside, awkwardly, her back against a seat. From where she was she could see the professor Beale. She wasn’t watching, actually, the redhead was watching. She was smiling at her. The professor started moving toward her when suddenly a tall figure blocked Beca’s view.

“Can I offer you a drink?” she heard a feminine German voice said.

She looked up to see a tall –very tall- and gorgeous specimen, a woman, obviously German, who was handling her a drink with a kind of predatory smile.

“Well… thank you.” Beca said awkwardly, accepting the drink.  
She had lost sight of the redhead, but she had won a pretty good sight if she was honest right now. The girl was from another acapella group, Das Sound Machine, a group composed with students from various countries and specially German. The blonde was the founder, and a PhD student, getting a degree in neuropsychology, with none other than Chloe Beale as a referent teacher.

“Seriously though. You call yourself DSM?” asked Beca, almost laughing.

“Yeah, what’s the problem?”

“I thought you were in the psychology field. You know, DSM? The abbreviation for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?” Beca explained.

“Oh! Ya indeed, now that’s ironic.” And the both laughed, before she asked. “Do you want a cigarette?”

“Nope, not smoking, thanks… Hey! Jesse, you’re here!” 

“Dude what are you still doing here?” the boy asked frenetically.

“Partying for my new Bella title maybe?”

“It’s almost 22!” he took her by the arm and dragged her out of here.

“So what?” she asked, struggling to escape his grasp. But then realization hit her. “Oh shoot! Sorry Komissar, have to go!” she yelled to the tall blonde who was expressing a mix of incomprehension and worry.

With all of this, Beca had totally forgotten about her gig at the radio station. And she had also totally missed the fact that, almost the whole evening, Chloe Beale had wanted to talk to her. But now, the young professor was only gripping her cup tighter in a weird mix of various emotions while she watched Beca leave at the arm of Swanson, after she had to watch one of her own PhD student flirt with the brunette a big part of the evening. She knew that it wasn’t supposed to bother her, but it was. It really was. 

And the cup cracked under her grip.


	6. Chapter 5: the problem's reciprocity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! New chapt guys! But first : a really BIG thanks for all the reaction you got on last chapter! I wasn't expected this at all!
> 
> Hope you'll keep enjoy!

**Chapter 5: The problem's Reciprocity**

“Oh shit! I forget my USB key, how am I gonna do?” started Beca, clearly stressed.

“How did you do that? You were wanting for this like all week?” asked Jesse, bewildered.

“I don’t know, maybe because Chloe Beale barged into my room while I was half naked to get me to that aca-imitation sect thing.” Explained Beca, passing her hand through her hair, trying to figuring the situation out.

“What?”

“What what? They didn’t do that with the trebles?” 

“No. They just sent a message, weird message certainly, but they didn’t come to get us. And it was the same with other Bellas…” 

“Ok, that teacher is definitely a creepy one.”

“And she likes you apparently.” Jesse stated.

“Nope. You don’t go on that path, just play those disks while I’m getting my USB, please?” 

She actually didn’t let him any choice since she just left the station and run toward her room. She got back quickly and handled the gig smoothly despites their little incident. After that, she got home and slept until the beginning of Sunday afternoon. 

While she was waking up, she went through her texts. There was one from Jesse telling her that Luke was really happy with her gig. Then another from Jesse telling her that he was going to take out something to eat, asking if she wanted something. She answered that she’ll would gladly took a burger or two alongside with some fries and soda. The next one was from an unknow number so she got to the one from Amy before looking at it.

‘I gave your number to a tall blonde German who was looking for you, don’t be mad shorty.’ It said.

Beca was not mad, but annoyed. At least now, she knew. The unknown number was probably Komissar’s number. She opened the text. It was telling something about going for a coffee. But before she could answer, Jesse knocked at the door.

“Lunch’s here Becs!”

Beca jumped on her feet, she was so hungry. She opened the door to found her best friend. She let him in, and they sat to eat. Jesse tried to suggest watching a movie, but he failed. Beca didn’t like movies. They are predictable and too far from reality to her own taste. So they just sat and talk about various things. 

“The blonde from last night asked me to go out for coffee, by the way…” she finally said.

“The one from that german group?” Beca nodded, so he asked. “Did you accept?”

“Not yet… I think I will…”

“What about Beale?”

“Dude you seriously asking me this?” asked Beca with an outraged expression.

“What? She clearly has some interest in you. Not every teacher came personally to their student room just to tell them they have been accepted in some acapella group you know?”

“I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with her liking me or what. I was late I guess…” tried to justify Beca. “I’m sending a text to Komissar now.”

“Whatever dude… If you are convinced, then go.” Said Jesse, exasperated.

Beca just gave him a look. She reached for her phone, typed a quick answer and waited few minutes before her phone started buzzing again.

“I’ll meet her tonight.” Beca said. Her phone then buzzed once more and the DJ opened her text, made a weird face and added, looking at Jesse. “She said it’s a date.” 

The treble looked at her and shrugged, like he was saying ‘your problem, deal with it’. That’s when Beca started thinking that she was probably making a mistake. Without realizing the proportion this mistake could take later. Despite this, when Jesse leave, she prepared herself to go on that date. She just put on a tank top with a jacket above and some random jeans with her black boots. She sighed and thought ‘what the hell I am doing again?’ before leaving her room to the nearest coffee shop outside the campus.

The next morning she was late to Dr Conrad lesson. She sneaked in, and sat beside Jesse without the professor noticing it. Seeing her late, the boy gave her a knowing look.

“Don’t you dare thinking about this, nothing happened.” She whispered between her teeth, and before the treble can answer anything she added “I’ll tell you after the class.”

She took her stuff from her bag and started taking the lesson, not giving any space to Jesse to ask anything. So the boy waited. But he wasn’t that patient. So at the exact moment Dr Conrad called off the class, he jumped from his seat and looked straight at Beca.

“So! What happened?”

“Nothing. That’s was weird. We were on our way to the coffee talking about the weather when we met Dr. Beale. She asked what we were doing and when Komissar said we were going on a date, Beale looked at me and said something like ‘Sorry but I’ll have to take her from you’. And they just go…” Beca explained.

“Did one of them tell you why they had to leave?”

“Yeah Komissar texted me that it has to do with her research for her PhD… That was really weird, dude, you have no idea.”

“I’m pretty sure, Beale is just jealous…” commented Jesse.

“Oh come on! Stop with this already! She is my teacher, she doesn’t see me like that.” Retorted Beca. “Anyway, I have to go, rehearsal this afternoon…”

She went to lunch with Amy and Cynthia Rose. The girls told her what she had missed leaving the party early. Conrad got drunk and had a tendency to dance seductively with random people, until Posen got her. Conrad had tried to make the blonde dance but the former wasn’t up to, reminding the tall brunette that there were professors and there were students around them, and if she still want authority over them she should stop dancing. Conrad had obliged after Posen had nodded at something she was whispering at the blonde’s ear in a seductive way.

“I’m pretty sure they are like together or something.” Stated Cynthia Rose.

“Are we still talking about Aubrey Posen?” asked Beca with sarcasm.

“There is legend telling that the aca-nazi got feelings.” Dramatized Amy.

Beca laughed before asking about Dr. Beale. The girls just said the redhead had disappeared from the party almost at the same time as Beca. Even Posen didn’t know where the young professor could have gone.

“I even though she was somewhere fucking with you shorty.” Said casually Amy before she got up to go to the auditorium.

Beca was still a little red and pissed off by that last comment when they arrived to the rehearsal. Cynthia Rose and Amy were still laughing hard until they stopped dead after one single glare from Posen. So the three of them just sat in silence, waiting for the rehearsal to begin. 

“As you can see, Mary Elise was disinvited from the Bellas, since she was treble-boned during the initiation night.” told the blonde.

"That oath was serious?" Beca couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Yes Beca, we can’t let the enemy penetrate our line you know?” said calmly Conrad before Posen could assault the young DJ.

“Not a good enough reason to use the word ‘penetrate’.” She heard Amy said.

“And that oath apply on DSM too, Mitchell.” Added Dr. Beale, her tone far colder from usual, which made Beca shiver and Conrad as long as Posen looked at her curiously. “Anyway, start with the practice!” she said then, back to her usual beaming self.

Beca was starting to consider Jesse words about Chloe Beale being interested in the brunette and that the said teacher was currently showing an inch of jealousy. But right now, she have to focused on the rehearsal, before Posen decided to snap at her. They practiced vocals first thing, led by one of the three teachers according to their range. Beca ended up with Posen, but focused on the music, things went oddly smooth with the blonde. Secondly they got a little cardio, running around the bleachers, taking the stairs. 

It was after this that things started to get a little weird again. They got to the dancing. Dr. Conrad shown them the choreography, and they redid it while Dr. Beale corrected them. It seemed that Beca needed a lot of correction and that Beale was adherent to the learning by passive mobilization. The redhead was completely ignoring Beca’s personal space, touching almost every part of the young DJ's body.

“Okay, maybe you’re right!” she said, crashing into Jesse’s room. 

“About?” he said, startled.

“She may have a thing for me.”

“Ah-ha!” he exclaimed proudly. “What did she do?”

“She extended that creepy oath to the DSM team, and she was like all touchy to teach me the dance moves. And no she didn’t do that with the other Bellas, I checked.”

“So what are you gonna do?” he asked, excited.

“Calm done, I’ll probably going to do nothing about it.” She answered and Jesse pouted. “At least for now, I don’t know. And I still have this thing with Komissar…”

She let herself fall on the bed, and watched the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. Jesse didn’t say a thing, giving her some space, the situation was delicate for the brunette and he knew it. He knew that she will deal with Komissar by ignoring her probably. He also knew that she will try to ignore the redhead too, testing her. She may even quit the Bellas if things get serious. It was not like she was running away like a coward, she was running from love because she considered it as something dangerous. And despite all her badass I-don’t-do-social attitude, Beca really cared about other, and if she could never hurt them she would.  
But Jesse also had a feeling that Chloe Beale could exactly be the woman that’ll change everything for his best friend. He had this weird feeling that she only can help the DJ to cure her past scars. Only the future could tell if he was right or wrong to have this feeling, but for now, he’ll just let Beca fall asleep on his bed and he wait for the future to happen.

*

“Chloe Beale! We need to talk!” 

Aubrey Posen had entered her best friend and colleague’s apartment without any warning, something she usually hated to do. But now, the situation was critical and rather urgent.

“Hey Bree! What are you doing here?” Chloe was smiling as always, but Aubrey wasn’t looking happy at all, so the redhead’s smile dropped. “What is it?” she finally asked more seriously.

“Are you serious?” 

“What are you talking about Bree?”

“That alt girl! What are you doing with her? Do you at least remember you are her professor? You can’t be all touchy and flirty with her!” explained the blonde, only half hiding her mix of annoyance and worry.

“Why that?”

“I don’t know, maybe because it’s somehow illegal and she can drag you to a tribunal for that and you would loose your job and any chance to be a professor ever again?” said Aubrey with a heavy sarcastic tone, the situation was that bad to her.

“I’m not worry, I got a best friend who major in law.” Answered Chloe, positively beaming, letting Aubrey incredulous. 

“Chloe! This isn’t a joke! You should be more careful!” Aubrey was getting impatient.

“I know.” Stated Chloe abruptly. 

She let herself fall on her couch, her face now deadly serious. Elbow on her knees, she put her head between her hands and sighed. Aubrey felt suddenly bad. She sat beside her younger friend, putting her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. Chloe straightened up a little, letting her baby blue eyes looking for some comfort in Aubrey’s grey eyes.

“I know Aubrey, I know but… I don’t know… I have a feeling she is special… somehow?” said Chloe, her voice weak.

“But she’s also your student…”

“I’m aware!” almost yelled Chloe. “Sorry… It’s just… Everything is just so messy lately… I have this weird impression that she likes me back…”

“Chloe… Those relationship rarely end well and you know it. You have to be the mature one and… Maybe you should take some distance?”

“How? Need I remind you that I teach her main subject?”

“I know. But I can take care of the Bellas with Stace and you can got one of your PhD student teaching a few class for you…”

Chloe started staring the floor like she was considering it.

“Maybe… you’re certainly right…”


	7. Chapter 6: Ephemeral Avoidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey buddies! 
> 
> So new chap! Just so you know, the next won't be published on Saturday like always but on Friday since I won't be home this weekend (so basically you'll have to wait less, yeah! :D)
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this chap (special dedic to MRC1960 haha) and thank you again all of you for how you welcome each chapter each time, you are pretty awesome!!

**Chapter 6: Ephemeral Avoidance**

“Becs! Wake up! We have a lesson with Beale in like fifteen minutes!”

Beca grumbled, why the hell Jesse was in her room? And maybe she didn’t want to go to that class with Beale? It would only mess her up a little more. But the boy was insistent and her back hurt. She started to open her eyes and she realized a few things. One she had fallen asleep in Jesse’s room. Second she had sleep in a rather odd and improbable position –hence the hurting-. Third, she actually wanted to go to that class with Beale.

She jumped on her feet, smoothing her cloth, passing a hand through her hair. She didn’t have the time to really prepare herself sadly, but it will do. They left the room and run toward their class. They made it a little late. However, the lesson hadn’t started yet, since the teacher was preparing himself. Himself? There was a problem here, it wasn’t Chloe Beale.

“Did we go to the wrong room?” asked Beca, worried.

But then the professor’s slideshow appeared and proved them that they didn’t do any mistake running toward their classroom. They were in the good class, but it would seem their usual teacher won’t be the one giving them the lesson of the day. And Beca didn’t like much this idea. When she learnt the boy was one of Dr. Beale’s PhD students she decided to text Komissar.

‘Do you know anything about the fact that Beale is replaced by some PhD students?’

She waited a few minutes before her phone vibrated indicating an answer.

‘She said she needed time for research. I’ll present case studies during the following week for your promo. Why?’

‘Just asking.’

‘Want to hang out after your class?’

Beca looked at her phone, dubious. She’ll have to tell her at some point that she can’t be with her. And to be honest she wasn’t really interested in the first place. But she won’t say that… She gave a look to Jesse, maybe if the three of them hang out together, they could go without having the aca-nazi chasing her for treason.

‘Sure! Mind if Jesse join in? Posen will probably try to kill me if she saw me alone with one of you...’

She showed her text to Jesse so he was warned of the plan. He nodded his agreement, half laughing. He was probably thinking that she was somehow avoiding dealing with her situation. And he was certainly right about it, but that wasn’t the point.

They were supposed to meet Komissar for lunch so they had to hurry before the cafeteria is invaded by an angry mob of starving students. Except they crossed path with Aubrey Posen. And she stopped them sharp.

“Mitchell.” She looked down at the Treble, saying his name with disdain before adding. “Hope hanging out with the enemy won’t make you late again.”

“I wasn’t late! I never received the text!” Posen had decided that Beca was late for the aca-reunion on their first Bellas day because she should have been there thirsty minutes earlier like the text said. Thing is, that text seemed to have been lost in the matrix.

“Yeah yeah. Just know this time Dr. Beale won’t be there to have you back.”

And the blonde professor left without one more word. She had hold them back enough to make them arrived at the cafeteria in the heart of the rush hour. Beca was fumbling. 

“What did I do to her? Seriously what’s wrong with that Posen?”

“Your best friend is a Treble and you’re hanging out with DSM maybe?” she heard a voice behind her. “Since you didn’t show up on time I took both of your lunch.”

It was Komissar. She was holding craft bag probably containing their lunch. She was also accompanied with a tall clumsy black haired German from DSM. Jesse and Beca were particularly thankful for her to have taken their lunch so they could escape the crowd and go eat outside. Sat in the grass the four of them were eating quietly, talking casually about acapella and neuropsychology. Actually, Beca didn’t really participate, she was annoyed, turning in her head the absence of Dr. Beale this morning and their encounter with Posen. And suddenly she appeared stressed out.

“What’s wrong?” asked Jesse.

“Did Posen say that Beale won’t be at the rehearsal?” 

“I think she intended this, yes…” said Jesse, realizing what could bothered the DJ, first Beale seemed to have like disappear from Barden, and second a two hours rehearsal with Posen without Beale sounded a lot like torture. “Hopefully, Conrad should be there?”

“Hopefully, but not sure it would stop the devil…” then Beca grunted. “I’m worried about Beale, and that’s pissing me off.” She groaned again, frustrated.

Jesse didn’t what to say, so he just looked at her with compassion. Komissar looked at her quizzically, trying to figure out something.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but… Do you have like.. A crush on Miss Beale?” she asked finally.

Beca looked at her before she nodded with an apological smile. The German just shrugged it off and chuckled, lighting up a cigarette. Beca was less tense after this, but still a little. She was playing with her hands, frantically, her gaze lost in the distance. At one point, her eyes regained their focus and Beca frown. 

“Can I borrow you a cig please?” she asked sharply.

Komissar gave her an incomprehensive look, but the determination on Beca face made her comply. Jesse gave a non-approving stare to Beca while she was lighting up the thing but then he followed her narrowed eyes. Dr. Mitchell, Beca’s dad. He had caught sight of them and was on his way to reach for them. But he stopped when he saw the young DJ defiantly smoking. He turned around and left, making Beca sigh with relief. 

The thing is, she discovered that way that tobacco could relax her a little. Well, after all she knew how this drug worked, a psychoanaleptic. On the basis, it activated the nervous system, in a way you feel relax. But it’s only a feeling and Beca knew it. She also knew that it was an addictive substance.

However, right now, she kind of needed that. They were getting closer to the time of the year she hated, her father appeared to want to talk with her, Beale decided to disappear from Barden and she’ll had her next rehearsals with Posen on her back. She was like tired and terribly stressed out. Just one cigarette couldn’t do really wrong right? She was trying to convince herself, but deep down she knew perfectly that she was going on a bad path. 

Though, she chased those thoughts, looked at her phone for the hour and decided to be early at the rehearsal. She succeeded. She was the first to install in the auditorium. She put on her headphones and waited, eyes closed, lost in the music. After fifteen minutes, she felt someone sitting by her side. Soon followed by a voice.

“You should put them down before Aubrey arrived.” Beca opened her eyes, it was Dr. Conrad. “Don’t give her a reason to snap at you.” She said, laughing.

“You’re probably right.” She took of the headphones and put them in her bag. Looking around her she noticed they were alone, so she used the occasion to ask. 

“Do you have any idea why she hates me like that?”

“You are too alternative for her, with your tattoos and ‘ear-monstrosities’.” She answered, probably quoting the blonde. “But I don’t think she actually hates you.”

Beca looked at her, her face saying clearly ‘aca-excuse me there’. 

“You’re young, talented and hot, she is probably intimidated.” She explained with a flirty smile.

The young brunette answered with a smile of her own, before Aubrey Posen and the other Bellas started coming in. Dr. Conrad got up, giving the young DJ a wink and she joined Posen. The blonde gave her colleague a disapproval look, mixed with incomprehension. She was honestly surprised to see the alt girl early, but was also suspicious because Mitchell was alone with the seductive professor.

The blonde started the rehearsal like nothing happened though. She gave them the music sheets of the three songs they were going to sing for the sectionals. She saw Beca frowned and sigh. She clearly heard her muttered something about those song being old and boring, but she had promised Chloe to be nice with her.

However, Aubrey’s patience seemed meant to be tested. When they got to the dancing, Stacie took the mission to correct Beca’s moves. And she was doing this with almost as implication as Chloe had last time. Dr. Conrad was completely in Beca’s personal space. She was actually touching her, almost hugging her from behind. The young brunette was visibly flushed. Because let’s be honest: Stacie Conrad was a beautiful and hot woman who knew how to move her body to put it at its best. Beca was pretty sure the woman didn’t need to put her hands here or there.

Before she could even protest, Posen called off the rehearsal. Conrad compliment Beca and gave her a seductive smile before she joined the blonde. The tall brunette smile fall quickly when she saw the highly disapproval frown on the blonde’s face. And the young DJ was still asking herself what the hell is happening with those teachers. Between Conrad and Beale… She’ll choose Beale she thought, certain that it wasn’t where her thoughts were supposed to go. So she took her bag and left quickly to change her mind on mixes.

Through the week, things got weirder and weirder. But at least, Dr. Conrad had took the time to explain her motive to Beca. Apparently, she was using her as a plan to made Aubrey Posen jealous –Beca didn’t ask how she could envisage dating the blonde, she didn't want to know- and maybe a way to make Chloe Beale come back. Apparently, the professor had noticed the mutual interested Beca and Dr. Beale seemed to share, and she wanted to play the matchmaker. 

From this moment, Beca entered the game. Each time Stacie was making a seductive move toward her, she play along, answering, flirting back. It made her class with Posen absolutely awful, since she intended to make her pay for her behavior. Even during rehearsals, the blonde went all aca-nazi on her from time to time. Conrad tried once or twice to defend her but she was put back in place rather abruptly each time, so she stopped, simply giving Beca an apological look.

After two weeks, there were still no signs of Beale. And Posen was more and more aggressive toward both Beca and Stacie. The young brunette was really stressed out, she couldn’t even hang out with Jesse or Komissar since the Bellas leader would use this to fire Beca from the group. Despite everything, she liked the Bellas and didn’t want to leave them. Besides, Amy and Cynthia Rose were now her only hope to breathe a little. The sectionals approaching alongside with that period she hated for some reasons, Posen was harsher and harsher –even Conrad started to get tense- and Beca’s father was trying more often to talk with her.

This was bad. And it was getting worst because she really started to smoke at that moment. She knew all the risk, between addiction and affliction of her voice, but it was more or less one of her real break. When she smoked neither Aubrey Posen nor Dr. Mitchell would try to annoy her.

However, it started to really bothered Posen. This and the fact that Stacie was really playing almost all her cards on Beca. So the blonde took on her to reconsider what she told the redhead. It wasn’t Aubrey type to recognize she had took a bad decision, but when it came to succeed on the acapella field –and Beca’s intact voice will be needed for this- or to Stacie, she could sprain her own rules.

“You need to come back to the Bellas.” She said, reluctantly.

“I thought I was supposed to stay away from Beca?” asked Chloe suspicious.

“Well, I didn’t predict that Stace would go all flirty on her…” grunted Aubrey.

“Stacie did what!?” exclaimed Chloe, she wasn’t happy with this. But let’s be clear: it wasn’t jealousy. She was concerned because Aubrey had feelings for the tall brunette. The redhead imagined the two brunettes together and how it could be difficult for the blonde to witness it. Okay, she was jealous too. “I’ll come back. I won’t be back to give class, it’s actually a really good exercise for my students but I’m back to rehearsals. Stacie will stay away from my girl... I mean _this_ girl.”

Aubrey didn't pick up on that last line, she was just relieve actually. “Thank you! And you can still keep your distance with the alt girl.”

“She has a name Bree you know?” the blonde just shrugged. “And you probably should just tell Stacie how you feel too.”

The blonde dismissed totally that last comment and go back to explain at what point they were in rehearsals. Chloe smiled softly, she’ll have to help her two friends together. Aubrey really deserved that piece of happiness she sought now since she met Stacie. 

And if she played matchmakers with them, she at least won’t have to deal with her own misplaced and unrequited feelings.


	8. Chapter 7: Ghosts from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So early update (one day and one hour earlier, because you know, weekend :D )
> 
> Thank you again for all your messages! 
> 
> And now, about this chapter, it actually can be slightly trigger for some (mention of self harm/suicide [welcome in the psychology field ^^"] ) but I balanced it, so it should be little dark but not depressing or harming (I hope). Anyway, have a good read! (also it's maybe a little shorter chapter, but that was needed)

**Chapter 7: Ghosts from the Past.**

It was what Chloe call an aca-success. They won the sectionals. Aubrey didn’t throw up –she had a tendency to do so when she’s really stressed-. Stacie had hugged the blonde and Aubrey had told her she was in love with her, and they kissed –that was Chloe’s favorite part-. Also, the redhead had resisted her urge to do the same thing to Beca Mitchell. Since she was back to supervise the Bellas’ rehearsals, she managed to keep some distance with the brunette. Her feelings didn’t change an inch, they were even a little stronger, but she had maintain the whole student-teacher distance status. Yeah, that was a real success.

For Beca their performance was a success. It was a weight removed from her shoulders. Everyone will be less tense after this, because they were quiet stressful during last week. She wasn’t impatient for the regionals or even the nationals, since it would be clearly worst. But for now, she was more worried by the fact she won’t have anything to occupy her mind for a while after this. This meant two things. First she’ll be back full on crushing over Beale. Second, it will be that depressing moment of her year and it’ll be more and more difficult to avoid her father.

She realized how much it would be hard the day they had a psychology themed lesson, animated by Komissar instead of Dr. Beale, on aggressiveness. The first half was ok. It was about hetero-aggressiveness, the violence against others. But the second half was about self-aggression. She just knew by the summary that she won’t handle it. At least not for now. Self-harm, suicide… she wasn’t ready. She left the class. Not even giving a word to Jesse. But the boy didn’t need it, he simply knew. He didn’t follow her. He thought that it was better to take the lesson to give it to her later and thus gave her some space to think. Beca was thankful for this. 

She walked through the hall, without knowing where she was heading. She just had that feeling she had to leave the building, and rather quickly. On her frenetic walk, she caught a glimpse of red hairs and blue eyes. Something inside her wanted to go see her professor, like she was the key to feel better. But she didn’t have the time to act on it, since she bumped into someone. And of course, that someone needed to be her damn father.

“Beca? Shouldn’t you be in class?” he asked curiously, almost already disapproving her behavior.

“Now is not the time.” She retorted sharply.

“Come on Beca, I know it’s a hard time for you those days… Maybe we could talk? Come over to dinner?” he suggested, rather weakly.

“No.” she answered abruptly, not letting any space for discussion. But obviously her father found space, or created one.

“Becs, please. If you don’t do it for me, at least, do it for your mom, she would have like that.” He tried.

It was too much for Beca, and she got angry. “Don’t you dare speaking on mom’s behalf. It’s all your damn fault and you know it. You have no right to speak for her. Leave me alone!” Sha hadn’t yelled, she was cold and harsh, it was far worse than if she had yelled actually.

Her father wanted to say something else, but the redhead who was watching the scene from the beginning decided to interfere.

“Dr. Mitchell! Hi! Sorry, I need to borrow your daughter, she was supposed to help me on my research. Brilliant daughter you have by the way.” She was beaming as always, and was going all nice on Beca’s father so he had no room to refuse.

“Dr. Beale. I… Okay, I’ll let you two work… Bye Beca.” And he left, awkwardly.

“Thank you.” Beca grunted before taking a step aside to go outside.

“Beca, wait!”

Dr. Beale followed her outside. Despite her short legs, the brunette had succeeded to take some distance with the redhead. However, once outside, she had stopped, her back on a wall, she was lighting a cigarette.

“I thought you stopped smoking?” asked her professor genuinely.

“I…” started Beca, wanting to justify her gesture, but she just groaned before saying. “It’s complicated. Thank you to have got rid of my father for me. You didn’t have too.” 

“I recognize what is a bad situation for one, if I can help…” she simply answered, in a soft smile. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, her voice filled with sincere care.

Beca looked up, founding the light silvery-blue of her professor’s eyes. She felt in trust with this woman. And this whole story started to choke her from inside. Maybe she could tell her, at least vaguely what was bothering her. Bothering was a weak word for now, she had to admit she was feeling really bad. So she finally took a deep breath, stopping her smoking, and spoke up.

“It’s just that it’s a bad time of the year. A period I can of hate. Well since two years ago I really hate it…” she looked again Miss Beale, only to found her listening carefully, her eyes empty from any judgement and full with kindness. “I lost my mother. She…” she cringed, she never said it out loud, to anyone, she took a breath for courage. “She killed herself.”

Dr. Beale didn’t say a thing. Beca almost expected some random sentence about her being sorry, or to say that it must be hard or some other general words. But no. Her blue eyes were filled with genuine concern, and saying silently she was sincerely sorry to hear this. But she didn’t say anything, giving the younger girl the space she needed, if she wanted to keep going or not. And so Beca felt it was the moment to open up to someone, for once.

“Before I started college, my parents get separated. My father fell in love with someone else, the step-monster.” She snorted. “But for my mother, it was tough blow. Really tough. She had a depression. My father completely ignored us. So I was there, alone, taking care of my mother. While I was in high school, since were more or less ok with me around. But then I got to college, on a deal with my father. It would help me go to LA if I at least take a degree here at Barden. At first, I came back home every week-end, it was doing good for my mother. But not for me. I was choking. She was making me guilty to have abandoned her too, to have choose my father side… It was her illness speaking, I knew it. But it was harder and harder for me to handle. So I started coming back less. My father tried to reason my mother when she was calling him in the middle of the night saying he had took me away from her.

During my second year, things got worst. But hopefully, a friend of her advice her to go see a psychologist or something like this, something to help her cure. It worked. For a year. But, the moment she started getting better, she stopped going to her therapy, and she stopped taking her medicines. It was during my third year. It was when she fall on her highway to hell. And at the end of the road well she… You know.” Beca stopped there, eyes filled with tears, everything coming back to her so vividly. “It’s not only my father’s fault, it’s mine too. I did this to her. I abandoned her when she needed me…” Beca suddenly started rambling, tears falling on her cheeks.

“No.” that was the first time Chloe Beale spoke since Beca had started. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have done anything. You would have lost yourself, and at some point you would have cracked too, and that wouldn’t have done her any good. It wasn’t your place to help her. It was hers. We are the only ones to take the step toward healing, others only can try to push us a little. So stop blaming yourself. You are not guilty of anything. You did everything you could.”

Beca looked at here, in an owe. She knew all of this, but hearing it made it more real. She needed to hear someone told her it wasn’t her fault, that she couldn’t have done anything. Coming from someone like Chloe Beale, who had made those kinds of things her job, it gave it more weight. More truth. And Beca completely broke down. She cried, both for her mother loss –which she cried for the first time really- and both with some relief. 

She wasn’t supposed to do so, but right now, the professor Beale didn’t felt like she was Beca’s teacher, but more like she was her friend. So she held her in her arm. Letting the younger girl cry on her shoulder.

After a few minutes of crying, Beca straighten up, leaving Chloe’s embrace, wiping off tears on her cheeks.

“I’m sorry for this.” She said weakly, avoiding her teacher’s eyes.

The redhead just shrugged and stretched. “Coffee and donuts?” she asked with a light smile.

Beca looked at her with a non-hidden surprise. But she nodded nonetheless, eating something and drinking some hot beverage would only do her good.

“I’m more in a mood for hot chocolate.” She answered, her smile still weak.

“You can have that too.” Chuckled Beale. “Come on, let’s go!” she finally said, literally offering her arm to Beca, like some guy would in movie about past centuries.

And the young DJ grabbed it, laughing a little.

“Thank you.” Beca let out on their way, and the redhead simply smiled at her and shook her head, like she was saying ‘it was the normal thing to do’. And the brunette found her smile coming back sincere again.

Jesse had run out of her class at the end of the lesson, looking for Beca. Only to found his friend with her favorite teacher, with a bright smile on her face. She had cried, he could tell, but she was liberated from a dead weight which was wandering on her shoulders for too long.

“Is she okay?” Komissar had following him, concerned too.

“She will.” The boy answered, confident. “She will.”


	9. Chapter 8: The turning point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late, I'm sorry! To make myself forgive, I'm updating two chapters in a row!
> 
> Thank you for your patience everyone, hope you'll like those chapters.

**Chapter 8: The Turning Point.**

After the crying incident, a lot of things changed between Beca Mitchell and Chloe Beale. First, Beca was a little less tense and morose, she had lighten up after having talking with Beale about her mother. She also had told the whole story to Jesse, even if he knew -or guessed- the greater part of it. Even Komissar knew now, she felt it was important to explain why she left her class so promptly. Second, Chloe had finally understood why Beca had started to follow a neuropsychology course, and she now can help the young girl enriching her studies.

But the main thing to change was their relationship. They went from student-teacher professional relationship to some kind of friendship. It wasn’t a rare thing to see them taking breakfast or lunch together, or even simply founding them somewhere on the campus together, most of the time talking about classes or music. Beca had started presenting to Miss Beale some other mixes from her project “the song behind the eyes”, and the professor helped her understand a few things about the people behind those mixes. Together, they had brought this project to a whole new level. 

By talking with Dr. Beale, and sometimes with Dr. Conrad, Beca had come with an idea of research for her future. She’ll pass a PhD, so she can study the effect of the music on brain. Knowing those effects in a rather precise way, she could after come up with the possible uses of music in therapy for various mental disorders. Conrad was really endeared by this idea, and was already impatient for Beca to have her degree and start her PhD. This didn’t really help the young DJ to go on the good side of the Dr. Posen, since she was still rather jealous –actually, Beca was sure that even Beale was a little jealous-, but thing were better. The blonde still didn’t like her, but at least, she didn’t hate her.

Thus, the rehearsals were less tense for everyone. It was noticeable since the sectional, and the day Stacie Conrad and Aubrey Posen had become a thing, but with the relishing of what the Bellas called the beaming Beale, rehearsals had become kind of fun. Before, the redhead was staying in the back, interfering very little to avoid any weird movement toward Beca, but now, both girls didn’t really care about being a little off limits. They still avoided physical contacts, because they knew they were still navigating in dangerous water. 

For now, the Bellas were on their all afternoon long Saturday’s rehearsal. Completely exhausted from hours of practice, the Bellas –well Amy- begged for a break. And surprisingly enough, Posen accorded it without any negotiation. Actually it was because she had to give them all they needed to know about the regionals. They’ll take place the next Saturday which made Beca grimaced.

“A problem Mitchell?” asked Posen.

“Er… No, just I’ll have to negotiate with Luke to take over my gig next Saturday.” She answered, with a dim movement of her hand.

But even if it was true, she didn’t totally fool Chloe Beale, who noticed how the young DJ got all closed up after this. And how she reached for her cigarette pack, still lingering deep in her bag, at the end of the rehearsal. So when she left Stacie and Aubrey, the redhead had decided to go grab a coffee and to bring it to Beca during her gig. When Chloe got in the booth that night, helped by Jesse - she finally started to like the boy-, the brunette was humming.

“Titanium uh?”

“Wow!” Beca turned around violently, she wasn’t expecting anyone. “Don’t do that, you almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Haha sorry.” Miss Beale chuckled, half sorry, before handing the girl a coffee cup.

“Oh, thank you! You really are an angel you know?” Beca said, with a bright smile. “And yes it was Titanium.”

“It’s one of my favorite song ever.” The redhead said, beaming. “Would you sing it for me?”

Beca was caught off guard, suddenly remembering a certain shower dream she had a few month ago. So she blushed furiously.

“Are you okay? Do you have fever?” asked her professor, concerned. She even put her hand and the younger woman’s forehead.

“No, no, I’m fine, just… I’m okay.” She laughed awkwardly, gently pulling away her professor’s hand. “Yeah, I guess I can sing it…”

She raised on her feet to pull the volume in the booth on the lower level. Once she had checked the playlist was running smoothly, she straightened up, looking into Dr. Beale eyes. She started singing the chorus. Soon, the redhead joined in. And their voices indeed harmonized perfectly. They got carried away by the song, eyes locked, they got closer and closer. So well that when they stopped singing, their faces were only few inches apart. The redhead had lightly tilted her head like she would kiss the younger girl. Until she remembered Aubrey saying her ‘you can actually do what you want with her, in the condition she is the one initiating... Or you can be legally pursued…’ and she suddenly back off.

“So!” it took a few second to both of them to get back to their normal self. “Is there something wrong with the date of our next competition?” the redhead finally asked –it was what brought her there in the first place after all-.

“Uh? No? Just the fact that it’s my gig’s night…” Beca answered, not so convincing.

Dr. Beale gave her a look. You know that look telling you that you’re not fooling anyone. So the young DJ sighed.

“It’s that day… You know...” she didn’t really want to say out loud the thing that happened on that day. Luckily, her professor understood and nodded, squeezing gently the younger girl’s shoulder.

“You know what?” she said abruptly, forcing Beca to raise her head. “We’ll create an aca-awesome memory on that day too. So next year, it won’t be that hard, you know what I mean?”

Beca had a weak smile. “Yeah… Thank you professor.”

“You know you can call me Chloe?”

The young DJ hesitate, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to push down one of the last barrier they got, this one barrier that kept reminding Beca the woman in front of her was actually her teacher. But she also realized at this particular moment that the woman in front of her was actually far more for her than simply a professor.

“Thank you. Chloe.” She finally said, insisting on her name, letting it roll in her month, be embrace by her voice. And she watched, grinning, Chloe’s face lighting up hearing her name said by the young DJ.

The regionals day came quickly. Beca had succeeded her negotiation with Luke about him taking her gig that night. It only gave her one condition: ‘if you win, you kiss your damn girl’. She had slapped him on his shoulder, obviously. He was being silly, like she could do that. But she had actually agreed, for some mysterious reason. Maybe she just needed a little push. It could work after all. ‘No! Beca no! You can’t do this, remember?’ her inner voice reminded her.

However, with time, this voice was getting weaker and weaker. Until they were in the bus to go to regionals, where the voice started yelling at Beca when Dr. Beale came to sit right next to her. But Beca just decided it was time to definitely shut this voice. After all, she wanted to take the chance, the risk, she really liked the redhead, and it seemed a minimum mutual. Besides, she was really doing her good.

“Mitchell! Can your phone stop ringing all the time, that’s annoying.” Had suddenly said Dr. Posen, between her teeth, like she was holding back since an hour –when Beca’s phone started buzzing on a regular basis-.

“Sorry… that’s my dad and… I really don’t want to talk to him today…” the brunette had answered, keeping her head low. She felt a soft hand on hers, it was Chloe who was trying to reassure her.

But then again her phone started ringing once more. 

“Okay. Give me that!” had intervened the blonde, quiet sharply. And Beca couldn’t do anything else but to hand her her phone.

“Dr. Mitchell! No it’s Dr. Aubrey Posen, Bellas’ supervisor. Could you call Beca another time, we have an important competition this night and every member of the team need her focus… Thank you. Goodbye.” She ended the call and gave the phone back to the alt girl. “You’re welcome.”

“Uh… Thank you…”   
The young DJ hadn’t really understood what happened, but she knew that now her father will give her peace. And she smiled, amazed by the blonde sudden gesture. She heard Chloe clear laugh. She looked at the redhead and while they got lost one again in each other eyes, her smile grew wider. She had missed the light kiss Stacie had gave on Aubrey’s cheek, but not the mischievous comment of Amy who was driving the bus –no one knew why it was her and not one of their teachers, but whatever-.

“This bus is getting gayer every minutes, acan’t believe it.”

They laughed, before they broke into a song -initiated by none other than Chloe Beale of course-. Beca was actually making good memories, on the day she had noted in her inner calendar of the worst day of her life, the day her mother died.

And it kept getting better. Their performance was aca-awesome, they almost had a standing ovation, but most of all Aubrey Posen congratulated them with sincerity and a fierce pride. All the Bellas felt that pride growing in them, the girls started getting confident they would win the nationals.

In their enthusiasm, Beca and Chloe had hugged. They hold tight on each other for a few seconds before they both step back, not sure it was a good thing to do. Then Beca remembered Luke words ‘if you win, you kiss your damn girl’. Her inner voice was silenced. And most of all, those light silvery-blue eyes were focused on Beca’s own lips. The brunette didn’t need more. She put both her hands around Chloe’s jaw, her thumbs caressing softly the redhead’s cheeks. Then both closed their eyes and leant in.

They share their first kiss. It was soft, tender, chaste. They were tasting each other, in a slow path, enjoying their discovery. It was like they had wanted this their whole life so they didn’t want to rush, they wanted to savor every tiny seconds of it.

They broke their kiss, gasping for air. Forehead against forehead, they smiled widely.

“I know what you meant by ‘creating aca-awesome memory’.” Whispered softly Beca.


	10. Chapter 9: The dating experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here come the second promised chapter!
> 
> Just so you know too, it's getting closer to the end of this fic (things are getting a little faster around there, I feel like I'm rushing but, I don't know, I feel that the fic shouldn't be too long)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter 9: The Dating Experience**

“You did it! See wasn’t that hard!” Luke congratulated Beca a week after the regionals.

She had informed Jesse right after the kiss took place, but she had waited with Luke. But the British had passed the week asking her or Jesse about if she completed the deal or not. When the boy threatened Beca to purely and simply cancel her gig, she finally gave in, admitting she had indeed kissed her professor that night –and admittedly, a few other times since, but she won’t tell this-.

“The hard thing starts now... If anything goes wrong, she can suffer from it…” said Beca, still not really reassured about her whole situation.

“And you’ll have nothing to worry about since you’ll be dead.” Beca gave Jesse a weird look on his comment, so he cleared his discourse. “Posen had given you the talk last time right?” said Jesse.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“You were late, white and every part of your body were shaking like you had seen a ghost after your last class with her…” explained Jesse, only half exaggerating. 

That was true, Dr. Posen had given her the best friend talk, saying she will hunt her till her death if anything happened to Chloe because of her. But Beca also made it clear that she have no intension to hurt the redhead, and she’ll do everything she can to avoid it. Actually, she wanted to make things as right as she can. Dr. Beale deserved the best.

That was how Jesse ended laughing senseless for ten minutes because Beca was taking Chloe to a cinema for their first date. And he knew pretty well that Beca hated movies and by extant, cinemas. But the brunette calmed him, explaining they were going to see a videoconference about the role of mirror neurons in the learning process. He was disappointed, but still smiling like a mad man just imagining Beca in a cinema. Which owed him a slap on his shoulder. 

For most people, go on a videoconference for a date was nothing but romantic. But Beca had heard Chloe talking about this precise conference for two month now, and she knew the woman will be pleased. They will have to go to the next big city for this, Beca keeping the surprise till the end. But it was definitely worth it.

Beca alongside with other students heard about mirror neurons for weeks. How those discoveries can change our way to perceive certain mental disorders as schizophrenia, or change our way to approach learning at every ages. Beca really loved this side of Chloe. The woman was carried away by some passion, her eyes lighting with the love of learning and sharing. She was beautiful as ever when she started to ramble about neuroscience. So Beca spent half of her time staring at the redhead, in owe, a smile of pure admiration on her face.

The hardest thing was that they couldn’t really be demonstrative on campus. They wanted –quiet badly- to hang out together, and hug or even kiss. However, they clearly can’t. Particularly with exams coming. They could be accused of cheating. Something that was completely perfectly unacceptable for Beca to do, and that Dr. Beale would never allow. Thus, to make sure no one could accuse her of favoring one of her student, Dr. Beale made Posen pick randomly one of the numerous subject the blonde made. And it was publicly notorious that the blonde and the young DJ weren’t exactly friends. They were barely cordial to each other actually. As for Beca, she spent all her study time alone in the academic library.

They spent the whole exam time apart. Mostly because Beca needed her focus. But it was really hard, for both of them. So, from the moment the brunette had passed her last exam, she received a very formal mail from Dr. Beale, asking Beca to meet her in her office, the day after, around midday.

“The front wall of your office is made of glass. Which kind of privacy is that?” was the first thing Beca said, mildly annoyed, entering Dr. Beale’s office.

“I’m happy to see you too, Beca.” 

“Err… Sorry… I actually missed you, you know? And this thing goes against my plan.” She said, moving her hand toward the glass wall, with slight disdain.

“Your plan? Which was?” Chloe grinned.

“Kiss you senseless on your desk?” answered Beca, embarrassed.

“What kind of plan is this Miss Mitchell? You’re meeting your professor there to make the point on your exams.” Said Dr. Beale, suddenly really serious.

“Really? Well it went fine, I guess.” Beca answered a little disappointment in her voice.

And Chloe chuckled. “I’m joking, come here.” She grabbed her student by her belt to bring her closer to her, putting both arms around the shorter girl’s neck.

“It’s an inappropriate behavior for you to have, professor.” Said Beca, a disapproving look on her face, an emphasis on the redhead’s tittle. “Besides, someone might see us.” Her expression turning in a mischievous grin.

For only answer, Chloe stretched her arm, reaching a cord. She pulled it, and a curtain came cover the glasses.

“Better?” she asked.

“Definitively.” And Beca, grinning, started executing her plan.

Even if they had missed each other badly during this exam period, they couldn’t really stayed forever in this office, curtains closed, before raising some suspicion. Especially since it was noon, when every office are more or less empty, particularly student empty, because it was lunch time. So they decided to go take lunch with Dr. Conrad, Dr. Posen, and –much to Posen displeasure- the treble boy that Beca used as a best friend.

“He got a name, professor, his name is Jesse, not that hard to remember?” had said Beca once to the blonde teacher, rather dryly. She got a death glare and just felt silent, Dr. Beale squeezing her hand with an apologized smile.

That was during lunch that the redhead asked Beca for a dinner date. They already had a few other dates since the cinema one, but this one will be the real second official date. Of course they had to leave the town to be sure to not be spotted by anyone from Barden. It slightly annoyed Beca, but Chloe had explained to her several times already that they can’t risk to be caught together on campus. One because she cared about her job, and two, mostly two, she can’t take the risk to lose Beca. And the brunette agreed to this, but still, it wasn’t easy. That was how she realized that Chloe Beale was definitively more mature than her on this subject. And it made her like the woman even more.

They were due to meet in a restaurant in the center of Atlanta, where Dr. Beale would have reserved a table for them. Beca had put on her black dress and black heels. She knew the other woman would like it. She replaced her so called ear monstrosities by silvery thin long earrings. She applied only light make up, just enough to put her navy blue eyes at their best. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she was quiet pleased with herself. She was at her best, a little far from her usual self actually, but she liked the idea that Chloe Beale will be the only one to see this version of her.

She arrived pretty confident in the restaurant. She had to ask Jesse to bring her, but that was a detail. A detail which cost her to be a little late actually. When she entered the restaurant, Chloe was already here. When the redhead noticed Beca, she stood up. And the brunette was astonished. The woman before her was positively stunning. She wasn’t wearing a dress like she used to, and as Beca would had expected her to. No, she was wearing a classy grey skinny jean, with white heels, and a white shirt under a grey tuxedo’s vest. She was classy and mature. And Beca really liked it. Especially since her attire had a tendency to fit rather closely to her body.

“Careful, you are drooling Mitchell.” Teased the redhead.

“Sorry professor, I just caught glimpse of a really sumptuous woman.” Answered Beca with a playful grin.

Dr. Beale couldn’t help but blush. But she managed to quickly compose herself and say:

“Shall we begin this dinner?”

The whole dinner went smoothly. They chatted about various topic, from the Bellas, to class, passing by the Beale’s family. They were flirty sometimes and really childish other times. Everything seemed so easy with those two. They had forgotten by the end of the dinner that they were student and professor. That they weren’t really supposed to be all touchy and seductive. They were just two women on a date. Two women who really liked each other.

“So what were you up to since the end of exams?” asked Chloe when they came to desert.

“I’m actually working on a new mixing project.”

And Beca started explaining her latest project. The thing was creating mixes that could represent what people with certain mental disease could feel. For now she had only started with depression, helped by someone she met for one of her paper for school. It raised Chloe’s curiosity. The woman really wanted to hear what it could sound like.

That’s how they found themselves driving toward Beca’s room. Once in the said room, Beca had turned on all her devices, forgetting to actually turn on the light. The sole light was coming from Beca’s desk lamp alongside with her two computer screen. She made Chloe listen to the mix she was currently working on. Then a few others. Until she came to one particular mix. She explained that it was the mix she made when her mother died, and she felt like she was going through hell. The beat was slow, on low sound, with only hints of violin cutting violently the melody, like a scream lost in the dark.

Beca hadn’t noticed she had tense while the mix had play, but it didn’t escape Chloe. So the older girl wrapped her arm around her younger part’s waist, letting her chin on Beca’s shoulder. The brunette took a sharp breath and started relax a little. She put her hand on the redhead hands. She let herself leaning on the taller woman. She felt Chloe’s body against her back and got lost in the warm and comforting embrace. The redhead turned slightly her head toward Beca’s ear, lips on lobe, and whispered, softly, sweetly. 

“It’s okay.”

It sent a shiver down Beca’s spine that spread toward her whole body. Then Chloe started putting soft kisses in the crouch of Beca’s neck. She kissed and nibbled, provoking a few moans from Beca. It didn’t take long for the younger woman to turn around and take Chloe’s lips between her own. They shared a first long and tender soft kiss. But then, they kissed more fiercely, more eager, fighting for dominance. Both were well aware of the desire that was building. 

And they weren’t ones to ignore each other desires.


	11. Chapter 10: The Days After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically there was supposed to be a M chapter in between but it's the only one I actualy didn't write and I'm currently having a painful and annoying problem with my right arm and hand (wich is like my main, and writting with only one hand isn't really efficient...)  
> Anyway if it gets better at some point, maybe i'll add it..
> 
> Enjoy the chap! and thanks you all for support reviews and kudos!

**Chapter 10: The Days After.**

That’s how it happened. That’s how Beca ended up with one of here professor lying naked in her bed. That’s how both women had confessed without a word their liking for each other, under the rays of the bright moonlight. 

And when they part the morning, they shared one of the sweetest kiss.

But despite all this, Beca was still torturing herself with multiple questions. She was mainly asking herself if it was serious, and if she can consider herself officially in couple with the woman. Still in her room, she paced up and down, unable to sooth her mind. She had call an emergency meeting with Jesse and –oddly enough, but you know sometimes it’s better not ask- Luke.

The first thing Jesse did when he arrived was to tell her –almost ordered her- to sit sown. She let herself fall on her bed, head between hands, and Luke sat on the floor, looking at her with an amused expression.

“You really got it bad, uh?” He asked.

“Yeah…” replied Beca, grimacing. “Is it a bad thing, you think?” she then asked, worried, looking back and forth from Jesse to Luke.

“Depends. Why did you call us?” answered Jesse, sitting next to his best friend.

“Well… Hum… Last night… You know…” Beca started blushing, cursing herself for the lose of words, and Luke burst out laughing.

“No! You didn’t, you did?”

Jesse looked at him bemused, before he slowly started to understand. He looked the red face of Beca and started laughing too.

“Oh she totally did! You had sex with Dr. Beale! I can’t believe it!”

“She started!” blurted Beca awkwardly.

Luke laughed again before saying. “Well congrats mate. But seriously, why you’re so bothered, that’s a good thing!”

Beca just gave him a look, not knowing what to retort.

“You are just wondering if it was serious? And if you should keep going?” Jesse finally asked, starting to understand what could be bothering Beca.

“You think she would have done all of this just for a one night stand mate? Did you just see the woman? She could have literally every one she wants to enjoy herself. And yet she chooses to fuck you and she spent time on it. She actually dated you before. It’s lot of effort just to bang someone.”

“Hum… Well, I wouldn’t have said it like that…” started Jesse.

“Yeah!” Beca said, frowning.

“But!” Jesse began again. “He’s not completely wrong. I think she likes you too… But maybe you should simply asked her?” he finally suggested.

Beca looked on the floor. It was easy to say. 

“She’s really special to you, isn’t she?” finally asked Luke, oddly softly.

The brunette simply nodded, and the British stood up, putting both his hands on Beca’s shoulder.

“Then don’t be afraid, go for it!” he declared, particularly serious.

Jesse nodded his agreement, and Beca smile, before she actually laughed. He was right. Beca had a feeling that things were right with Chloe Beale, after all. She’ll take the risk, and she’ll ask her if they were official lovers or not.

But before she had to take her gig at the radio station. She was absently going from one song to another, taking some requests along the way. She was lost in her thoughts. Mostly thoughts about the redhead, and the night they spent together. But also little worries about what she could mean for the older woman. She was put out of her wandering by a special request. She would have recognized the voice asking between a thousand, even through the phone. Chloe Beale was asking her to play Titanium… Maybe Beca was worrying a little too much about their relationship, she said to herself, a little smile forming on her face.

The young DJ waited then their next lesson with Dr. Beale to have a talk with her. As soon as their professor called off the class, Beca was the first to stood up and take two steps at a time, rushing down their amphitheater-like classroom. But she stopped dead around the first row. They were other students who had far more important questions to ask to their teacher. Maybe not that important, but class related questions.

She sat on a table, her backpack hanging on one of her shoulders, and she waited. Jesse joined her, making a little fun of her and her impatience. Beca just ignored him and choose to simply watched –stared at- their professor while she was explaining something to another student. Dr. Beale smiled when she caught a glimpse of her favorite student waiting for her. But, truth be told, she was worried a little too because something seemed to be bothering the brunette.

Soon, they were no more students left except for Beca and Jesse. But the later choose to leave, because, let’s be honest, he had nothing to do here. The two woman watched the treble boy leaving, before Chloe finally broke the silence.

“What can I do for you, Beca?” she asked, smiling gently.

“Can we… Can we talk?”

“What’s wrong?” the redhead seemed suddenly worried.

“Nothing!” reassured Beca quickly. “It’s just… I want to know. What do we have?” she finally asked, her hand going back and forth between the two of them.

The redhead marked a break, before answering “We can have whatever we want. Actually, whatever _you_ want.” She emphasized.

“Does this mean I can consider you… My girlfriend?” Beca said, chuckling nervously.

“Yes, you can. If you want me to, I’ll be. If I’m not too old for you.” Answered Chloe, winking.

“You’re not too old, and you’ll never be to me!” Declared Beca, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And for all answer, Chloe laughed.

“Why are you laughing?” asked the brunette, a little dubious.

“Because I’m happy, Beca. I’m happy to have you for girlfriend.” She answered, grinning.

Beca blushed and smiled widely.

“I’m happy too.”

They get out of the room, hand in hand, talking and laughing sweetly. Both were feeling quite relived by the talk they had. It was giving them a pretty good perspective for latter. The problem would never be between them. The danger was coming from the other. Aubrey had warned them. The campus administration was already taking a dim view of her relationship with Stacie Conrad, so if ever they learnt about Chloe and Beca, it would probably be the end of Chloe’s Barden career. 

So yes, they will keep it low. But for now, they were feeling unbreakable. Even on the open of the campus, they walked hands linked and fingers laced together. 

But the safety they were feeling at this moment wasn’t real, nor meant to last. They realized it when they ran into Beca’s father. And the man wasn’t alone, he was walking with few colleagues. Despite Beca jumping away from Chloe, shoving her hands in her pockets, their closeness hadn’t gone totally unnoticed. 

“Beca?”

“Hey dad.” Beca offered, with a weak smile.

“Dr. Mitchell, how are you?” stepped in the redhead, holding out her hand toward the man.

“Dr. Beale. I’m fine and you?” answered the man.

They started a small talk. Dr. Mitchell co-workers watched curiously Beca and Chloe, but soon got bored and simply left, much to Beca relief. However, it was a short relief, since her dad asked the fatal question.

“What were you doing, again, with my daughter?” he was suspicious, Beca heard it in his tone.

“She’s our best Bellas, we need to take care of her. And I’m personally making sure she’s on top in every subject.” Chloe was handling the situation with confidence, she didn’t even hesitate one beat.

“And you need to hold her hand for that?” Dr. Mitchell was now slightly displeased.

“She might run away. You know how your daughter can be sometime.” The redhead answered, chuckling. Beca was amazed by how at ease she could be with the whole situation.

“You got a point there.” Replied Dr. Mitchell. And he actually chuckled, to Beca surprise.

The brunette decided to do something at this moment. She looked into her bag until she found the lost reminding of cigarettes she got in her pack.

“Still smoking, are you?” asked her dad, his look darkening.

“No. I’m stopping. And I want you to be the one getting rid of this.” Her dad raised his brows, perplexed, while Chloe was looking at her kindly. “As a peace offering. I… I know I’ve been hard on you, but I’ve been hard on myself too. We couldn’t have done anything… But!” she suddenly exclaimed, watching her dad moving closer. “It doesn’t mean I’m forgiving you for everything. It’s just a first step, okay? Still need my space.”

Her dad nodded, and took the cigarettes pack. “I… Thank you. And… I’m sorry. For what it’s worth.”

Beca gave him a weak smile. It was a start. The brunette had come to think about it. She couldn’t go all her life holding a grudge againt her father. Chloe’s word had made her realized that he wasn’t guilty of her mother’s act. For her, it was still his fault if things started to get bad. But they didn’t have to stay bad. No one was guilty of this. So maybe she should start forgiving her father and take a new beginning with him. After all, he was his only family left. 

She looked up to Chloe, founding caring blue eyes. She felt a honest smile appearing slowly on her face. No, her dad wasn’t her only family, she has Jesse and the Bellas. But most of all, she has Chloe. She won’t tell out loud that she considered the redhead like part of her family, it would be admitting that she started to have rather strong feelings for her, and that she had gotten strongly attached to her. Despite everything she had done to avoid this, she had. But she was oddly glad of this, and she wasn’t actually worried for a bit.

So her smile only grew wider, her navy blue eyes shining. Chloe own gaze responded with a beaming grin, and soft glimmering silvery blue eyes. Dr. Mitchell watched their interaction. It was genuine, they obviously cared a lot for each other. And Beca’s dad couldn’t help but smile too. Her daughter had found someone important, someone she liked and that liked her back. Someone that was apparently helping her to deal with what she has been through. He was grateful for this.

“I see you two are making quite a pairing.” He stated with a smile.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about dad.” Said Beca, defensive.

“Beca, don’t worry, I won’t interfere with your happiness.” He reassured her. “Dr. Beale, I count on you to take care of my daughter.” He added.

“Oh come on dad!” chuckled Beca, relieved.

“Don’t worry Dr. Mitchell, I will.” Chloe said with confidence, her caring gaze on Beca again.

Reassured and rather glad he had a talk with his daughter and finding her happy, he left them alone, promising Beca they will have a lunch sometime. The brunette grunted, but she wasn’t completely against the idea, honestly. She was relieved that she could possibly develop a healthier relationship with her father. 

But for now, she focused on Chloe.

“I’m really glad I met you, you know?” she declared.

“Me too Becs, me too.” The redhead replied, before kissing lightly the other girl’s forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, the next one will actually be the last chapter!  
> See ya!


	12. Chapter 11: A Fall for the Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the last chapter guys! I'll post right after the epilogue which come with a little bonus ;)
> 
> I wish to thank all of you! It was my first fic ever and yet it was so very well welcomed! Thank you, you're the best!

**Chapter 11: A Fall for the Better.**

“You can’t do that!” had yelled Aubrey Posen, entering in the dean office.

“Good morning to yourself professor Posen, can you calm down? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Answered the woman, slightly irritated.

“Sorry, good morning.” The blonde sat, and started in a calmer yet colder tone. “You perfectly know what I’m talking about. How can you just fire some of your best professors?”

“Because the university needs money.” She answered simply as she lean back in her armchair.

“Only because of that? And why now and why the top?”

“Because we need a higher budget rather quickly Dr. Posen, and some of our best teachers can be replaced by some of their colleague and since they are really good, I’m not worry about them finding a new job. Just like for your friend, Dr. Beale.” The woman was smiling softly, like it could smooth her words.

Aubrey let herself fall on the back of her chair. She was miffed by the calm with which the dean was talking about the situation, like it was anything important. Chloe was being fired, purely and simply. They had learned this only yesterday. It was her last month of job. She won’t even be a teacher anymore for the end of the year, and worse, neither for the nationals.

“How about the Bellas? They will be lacking of their supervisor?” the blond tried.

“I think you and Dr. Conrad can handle it?”

Missed. Aubrey could recognize a dead end when she saw one, and that was clearly one. Even if she can mobilize an angry mob of students she couldn’t change the dean mind. Or maybe she can? Could she try? She knew that Chloe Beale was probably the most appreciated professor on campus, it wouldn’t be that difficult to mobilize enough student to protest. She excused herself, leaving the office, determined to come back with this angry mob. She won’t let some financial issues taking away her best friend.

*

“What!?”

“She reunited all of us to tell us that we will now work with Dr. Conrad because she had to leave her post in three weeks.” Explained Komissar.

“What!?” repeated Beca, not getting over her shock.

“Dr. Chloe Beale got fired.” Said sadly Komissar.

“Why!?” Beca was speaking monosyllabic but she didn’t care, she was trying to make her mind around thing new. 

“We don’t know really. They talked about financial issue of the university… She’s not the only one to get fired…”

“But I thought she was one of the best of the university!?” Beca was still half yelling, feeling some anger growing inside her, alongside with fear and sadness.

“She is… She is actually the best one to get fired. That’s the weird thing…”

“Do you… Do you think it could have something to do with… me?” asked Beca, hesitant, afraid to say out loud that it could be her fault if Chloe lost her job.

“I… I don’t think so…” answered Komissar, not really convincing.

“You’re lying… Oh my god! This is my fault! What am I gonna do? How could I talk to her again after this?”

*

“I heard the news.”

“What news?” Chloe Beale asked, looking up to Dr. Mitchell.

“About you getting fired.” He sat in front of her, handing her a cup of coffee.

“Thank you.” She took a sip of coffee before she sighed.

“That’s a bad new for Barden, you were an excellent teacher, so I hear.”

“I heard that too.” She said, smiling. “It helped Aubrey, I mean Dr. Posen, to mobilize an angry mob of students and colleagues to protest to the dean.”

“Did it work?” asked Dr. Mitchell, curiously.

“Not at all.” Chuckled the redhead.

“That’s a shame… But you seem to take it things quiet well. Or better that I would have expected.”

“Yeah, I’m sad to leave Barden, but I already have a post in the University of Atlanta. It’s not that far, so I’m kind of happy with it.” She explained.

“Very well.” He paused, before asking. “Can I ask you something?”

“I think I have an idea of what you want to ask, but go ahead.” She said, a soft smile on her face.

“Does it have anything to do with my daughter?” 

“No. At least I don’t think it has. I think they knew for the available post in Atlanta…. How is she? I’m concerned about her, I didn’t have news from her since a week. And Dr. Conrad told me she wasn’t in Bellas rehearsal during all week.”

“I think she blames herself… She actually didn’t go to class neither. She’s probably thinking that if she disappear from Barden, the dean will let you a chance.” 

“But it’s not true.”

“Yes, but she doesn’t know this…”

“I’m sorry…” said Chloe, eyes falling on her cup of coffee.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. It’s because of me if she’s like this sometimes.” He comforted her, half smiling.

*

“Mitchell! Get out of that bed!”

“No!” Beca grunted, putting her head under a pillow. 

It’s been weeks since she was sepending more than half of her time in a foetal position in her bed, locked in her room. With only Komissar and Jesse that come from time to time to bring her food. They had tried to convince her to get out, to at least go see Chloe. Telling her that disappearing won’t change the dean’s mind. But she still felt terribly guilty and she didn’t want to face the disappointing of Chloe, the wrath of Dr. Posen, or even the “I told you so” look of her dad. Maybe she was acting like a child, but it was too much for her.

“Okay! I’m calling Aubrey, and we will drag you out of there using strength if we have to. It’s Chloe last day, you can do an effort.”

At the mention of Aubrey and Chloe by their first names, Beca finally raised her head, and discovered who had break into her room to drag her out.

“Dr. Conrad? What are you doing here?” she asked incredulous.

“Taking you out, since you don’t answer any text and Komissar and Jesse are completely inefficient on this matter.”

“I’m not going.” She deadpanned. 

“Why that?” asked the tall brunette, softly, while she sat on Beca’s bed.

“Because.”

“That’s not a reason. At all.”

“Right! Because Chloe is probably disappointed in me, and on the path to hate me, I don’t want to see her, it will be easier if she hates me. Besides, Dr. Posen will kill me if I ever came out of this room.” Beca finally conceded to tell.

“First, Aubrey will kill you if you don’t come out of this room. Second, Chloe like you a hell lot, and she misses you, and now she needs you to be there with here. So put something on and get out of this freaking bed!” Dr. Conrad declared, pulling of the cover from Beca.

The brunette looked at her professor bewildered. She couldn’t retort anything, since she knew, deep down, that the woman was right. It was Chloe last day. She will be saying goodbye to years of her life, to friend, and to the Bellas. She will need some support, and the numerous texts Beca had received from the redhead tell her that she was the support Chloe needed.

“Finally! You’re getting up. It’s about damn time!” exclaimed Dr. Conrad happily while she watched Beca stand up and grab some cloth.

“I thought teachers were supposed to talk properly?” Sarcastic Beca was back, it was a good sign.

“I’m here as Chloe’s friend, not as a professor, so you know… Anyway! I’ll wait outside.”

Beca changed quickly, but before getting out of her room, she took five minutes to send two texts. The first one was a group text to all the Bellas, Jesse, Komissar and even her dad and Dr. Posen –basically every one who had texted her to drag her out- to tell them to chill a little, she was getting out, she just had a bad flu –little lie couldn’t hurt-. The second one was for Chloe. 

‘I’m coming.’

“So, where is she.” She asked Dr. Conrad.

“In her office, packing her stuff, I’m can bring you there.”

But before she end her sentence, Beca had left. This time she was running. Because she already lost too much time. So she run, like she never had run in her life, dodging students and professors, ignoring all the ‘don’t run in corridors’.

“I’m sorry! I am so sorry! I’m an idiot!” She said, entering in Chloe’s office, slamming the door open.

The redhead turn around, torn between crying and smiling. She looked at Beca, an intense gaze in her silvery blue eyes. She took a step closer, before she started speaking.

“You are an idiot Beca Mitchell! Why? Why did you do this? Why did you ignore me? I missed you.” she asked, a tear falling silently on her cheek.

“I… I’m so sorry. I… I thought it was my fault. That you were fired because of me. I couldn’t stand the idea of you hating me for this. I couldn’t stand the idea of you leaving. I thought it would be easier for both of us if we just… split. So I ignored you. So you could hate me and maybe it would be easier for you. No for me. Maybe it would have been easier for me. I was selfish… But I… I love you so much, I couldn’t bear the sole idea of spending more time with you only to see you leaving… I’m sorry…”

“You… you love me?” repeated Chloe, a wide smile on her face, eyes filling with emotions.

Beca felt extremely nervous, she hadn’t planned to admit it like this. She hadn’t even realized she was actually in love with the woman. But she looked in those blue eyes and she knew, she just knew. This was right, and it never felt that right. So she composed herself, and simply answered, her voice soft, tender, her eyes gleaming, her smile growing:

“Of course I do.” It was probably the most obvious and the truest thing she ever said.

And Chloe started crying. But even Beca knew that it was tears of joy this time, and she smile, taking the redhead in her arms. The woman gave off a muffled laugh before she pulled the brunette away gently.

“I love you too. Like I never loved anyone else.” She said with a blatant honesty.

And she kissed Beca. She kissed her like it was the first time and the last time. Like they were only starting to live and like they were about to die. They lose themselves in that kiss. Mixed feelings traversing them, joy, sadness, anger, confidence, but most of all, love.

But suddenly Beca pulled the appart.

“Wait. We are still in your office, someone might see us…” she said worried.

“That the advantage of not being a Barden teacher anymore, we can do this whenever we want, wherever we want.” The redhead answered, chuckling.

Beca’s navy eyes lit up realizing what it meant for them. They were free to love and date each other without any risk for Chloe’s career. The brunette was so happy that she was half laughing when she leaned again to kiss the redhead. They were almost unable to kiss because the both of them were laughing. Beca had been stupid to worry about this all getting fired story, because it was actually all they needed to enjoy fully their relationship.

Now they knew, nothing was wrong with what they have.


	13. Epilogue : Happily Ever After...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's the official closure of this fic, I hoped you liked it.  
> There is a little surprise for you in it, maybe some of you had already seen this if you're on tumblr... (by the way, if you want to be aware of a potential other fic in the future, you could follow me on tumblr at http://ninth-on-eight.tumblr.com/ [or simply if you got bored haha] )
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this last bit of pure fluff guys, and thank you!

**Epilogue: Happily Ever After...**

The year ended up pretty casually. The Bellas won the nationals. Aubrey Posen cried with pride, and they all got in a group hug. It was weird because you know, Aubrey Posen… But who cared? They won, and they were happy. But Beca didn’t stay long. She run toward the audience, and she kissed her girlfriend. Without caring a bit of who can see them.

The month after, Beca got her diploma. This time, it was Chloe’s turn to run toward her at the end of the ceremony to kiss her senselessly, repeating again and again how proud she was.

The years that followed, Beca started her PhD, with none other than Stacie Conrad as referent. Chloe always kept an eye on them, mostly through Aubrey, but she stopped eventually. She didn’t really know what she could be worried about. She trusted both Beca and Stacie. They even ended going on double date.

That same year, they got to spend their first Christmas together. Beca didn’t really want to spend it with her dad and step-monster, and that was how she ended up meeting Chloe’s family. And she got adopted. It all looked like a happy Christmas movie. And she was happy with Chloe by her side.

During Beca’s PhD, they got into a fight once. A fight that last less than two hour and that they quickly forget what it was about.

The brunette finally got her PhD. Stacie had proposed to Aubrey and was about to get mar-ried. The newly Doctor Beca Mitchell was invited to be Stacie’s maid of honor, and she accepted gladly, seeing a way to thank her for everything she done to her and her researchs. Chloe was Aubrey witness quiet obviously. The couple spent half of the wedding dancing together, beautiful as ever. The other half, they tried to found a quiet place were they could made love –it wasn’t exactly a success-.

Beca didn’t wait long before she got a job proposal. She became a professor and searcher in Atlanta. And Chloe offered her the key of their apartment.

Somewhere along the way of that first year of teaching and living with Chloe, she took her decision. She wait for the year to end, and she kneed down in front of  
Chloe, in her black dress, a ring box in her hand. And Chloe said yes through tears of pure joy.

The wedding plan made them fight a few times. Beca didn’t want her dad to be there, but Chloe though it would be nice. Beca spent a few night on the couch, before she accepted to talk to her father, she missed Chloe’s warmth.

Finally, it was Beca’s father who gave the brunette hand to Chloe. He cried that day. And when he pronounced his discourse, telling how Beca’s mom would be proud, and would have loved Chloe, Beca cried too. That was the first time her father was right to speak on her mother behalf. Chloe hold Beca’s hand, comforting, and crying a little too, because she knew she would have loved Beca’s mom too.

Despite all the crying, it was one hell of a party. Aubrey offered them the surprise to have the Bellas singing a part of the night, and Jesse managed to get some serious materials to diffuse some of Beca’s mixes.

The year after, they moved to L.A. where they both get a job at one of the finest university. Chloe pulled some strings so Aubrey and Stacie could come too. The two of them had adopted a kid, and Beca and Chloe had a few disagreements because Beca didn’t really like kids, but Chloe wanted to babysit the little Conrad-Posen warrior princess –there was no other way to describe Sara actually-.

Finally, Beca agreed. Watching Chloe with Sara made her wanting children. The redhead was so beautiful, playing with the kid, hugging her, kissing her, talking in a murmur or playfully, being concerned when she fall, singing softly when she cried and laughing heartedly when the kid babbled happily.

So they eventually agreed to have a child. But Chloe wanted to bear it, and Beca was more than happy to let her. Pregnancy wasn’t always a fun thing. Chloe got weird appetite, mood and even sex envy. But Beca loved her, and the future little Beale-Mitchell growing in her wife, so she took on herself. She was caring and protective, sometimes too much, but Chloe forgive that easily.

The day Chloe delivered, Beca cried, holding little David in her arm, holding her wife hand.

When David reached his 3 years old, it appeared obvious that he will have his mother eyes, and oddly enough, Beca’s hair color.

When he got five, he appeared it would be as musical as his mothers and a strange bubbling and sarcastic kid.

That was when he was on his seventh year that the photo was taken. Chloe reading Beca’s last paper before it went to impression, her free hand in her wife hairs, while the brunette was asleep on her shoulder. Beca held her leg, her other hand on little David’s back, who was also sound asleep on her mother laps. Tired after an hour of learning how to do the cup song with Beca.

If you asked Chloe, she would say that after all this years, nothing really change. Except maybe that Beca finally get rid of her ear monstrosities after David had pull hard on them to play, and –while Beca would deny it firmly- it had made the brunette tear up a little from pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again awesome nerds, love you!


End file.
